Pakistan court grants bail to YouTube preacher facing blasphemy charges

A Pakistani court on Wednesday granted bail to Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a religious scholar with millions of YouTube followers who is facing multiple blasphemy and cybercrime charges.

The bail was approved by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench against two surety bonds of PKR 500,000 each. Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan presided over the hearing and Mirza was represented by lawyer Imran Khalil.

Mirza is accused in a blasphemy case registered in the northern city of Jhelum by the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing. During the hearing, the FIA prosecutor told the court that a formal religious decree had been issued against him.

The judge said such material should be presented before the trial court and instructed the prosecutor to limit arguments in the high court to the bail request. He added that the trial court would assess all evidence, case details and any religious decrees during proceedings.

The bail decision comes amid broader legal developments surrounding the scholar.

On Nov. 21, the Islamabad High Court suspended an opinion issued by Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology that labelled Mirza a blasphemer.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani ruled that the council had exceeded its constitutional mandate, noting that under Articles 229 and 230 it may advise only the president, governors or legislatures - not investigative agencies such as the FIA or police. The court barred the use of the council’s opinion in any investigation or judicial forum until the next hearing on Dec. 4.

Legal experts say the Islamabad High Court ruling strengthened Mirza’s chances of securing relief, as the council’s opinion had frequently been cited in cases against him. Mirza was arrested in August on public order charges, after which blasphemy and electronic crime offences were added. He has since been held in multiple jails before being moved to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.