Religious scholar and lecturer Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza narrowly escaped unharmed after an unidentified assailant opened fire on him on Sunday, police said. The attacker was killed when security personnel returned fire.
So far, little information is available about the attacker. While the motive remains unclear, Mirza has previously faced detention and restrictions on public speaking due to concerns that his remarks could trigger unrest.
The incident occurred outside the Quran & Sunnat Research Academy, where Mirza regularly delivers lectures. According to Jhelum police spokesperson Kashif Kiani, a man armed with a 9mm pistol arrived at the location, lay on the ground, and opened fire.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chaudhry Shafiq said officers returned fire, killing the attacker at the scene. He confirmed that Mirza remained unharmed.
A police constable assigned to Mirza’s security detail was injured during the exchange. He sustained a gunshot wound to his foot and was shifted to Jhelum District Headquarters Hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition.
Mirza, widely known for his religious lectures on social media, has more than 3.1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. He has faced similar incidents before, including an earlier attack this year and an assassination attempt in Jhelum in March 2021.
