The attack happened at the end of a lecture when some attendees stayed behind to take selfies with Mirza. The attacker grabbed Mirza’s collar, threw punches, and removed his turban, according to Muhammad Kashif Qureshi, a core member of the academy.

People present immediately intervened, restrained the man, and handed him over to the police.

District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Aziz Sindhu confirmed the arrest and said a case under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) (attempted murder) has been registered. Authorities are investigating the attacker’s background.

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Mirza’s academy has a four-tier police security system, and the DPO noted that police had warned him against taking selfies with strangers due to past threats.

This is not the first attack on Mirza. In March 2021, he survived an assassination attempt at his religious academy. He was also taken into protective custody last year under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) after being accused of blasphemy by an activist of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

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Mirza, who lives in Machine Mohallah, Jhelum, regularly shares lectures online and has 3.1 million YouTube followers. His speeches have sometimes been restricted by authorities, including in 2024 when 17 clerics’ speeches were banned during Muharram to prevent sectarian tensions.

Authorities continue to monitor security at Mirza’s events closely to prevent further attacks.