Pakistan’s top religious body urges legal action against detained YouTube preacher

Pakistan’s top religious advisory body, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), has recommended “strict legal action” against detained cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, declaring his statements a source of deep social discord and tantamount to “spreading corruption on earth”.

The CII said Mirza’s remarks were “contrary to Islamic principles,” adding that his statements fell into the category of inciting corruption and discord.

Authorities in Punjab’s Jhelum district had detained Mirza for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance on August 26 for alleged controversial remarks, before later charging him under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

In a statement on Wednesday, the council said it reviewed a letter sent by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and concluded that Mirza had “repeatedly used blasphemous expressions without any legitimate religious justification.”

The CII further noted that while the Holy Quran references instances of disbelief, such words are always framed as condemnation - never as endorsement. It pointed in particular to a video clip in which Mirza allegedly misquoted verse 5 of Surah Al-Maidah of the Holy Quran, accusing him of distorting the meaning of the holy book and attributing false interpretations.

“This is not only an act of disrespect towards the Holy Quran,” the council declared, “but also falls under the ambit of blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH).” It recommended that charges of desecrating the Quran be added to the existing case under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

At the same time, the council expressed reservations over the NCCIA’s letter, calling it biased because it included only fatwas presented in Mirza’s defense, while excluding those submitted by the complainant.

The CII stressed that investigative bodies should never forward one-sided material in such sensitive cases.

The council also moved to engage Pakistan’s Christian community, deciding to formally seek a written clarification on whether Mirza’s remarks reflect their collective belief. During the session, a voice message from a Christian leader was played, in which he categorically denied such claims, stressing that the remarks had no basis in Christian teachings and rejecting them as a false attribution.