An unidentified gunman was shot dead by police after opening fire outside the Quran and Sunnat Research Academy of prominent Pakistani religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza on Sunday, authorities said. Mirza remained unharmed during the incident.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the attack occurred while Mirza was delivering his routine lecture at the academy in Jhelum, a city in Punjab province located about 100 kilometres south of the Pakistani capital Islamabad. According to police, the assailant arrived at the premises carrying a 9mm pistol, lay on the ground and began indiscriminate firing.
A police constable identified as Ahsan, who was part of the security detail at the site, sustained a bullet wound to his leg and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. His condition was reported as stable. No other casualties were reported.
Jhelum police spokesperson Kashif Kiani told media outlets that the attacker was neutralised in a swift exchange of fire by security personnel, preventing potential further harm. Regional Police Officer Rawalpindi Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani took immediate notice of the incident and ordered a detailed investigation, including efforts to identify any possible facilitators or accomplices.
Law enforcement agencies collected evidence from the scene, and security was heightened across the area with additional personnel deployed at sensitive locations. The identity and motive of the attacker have not yet been publicly disclosed, though initial reports indicated he acted alone.
This marks at least the second known attempt on Mirza’s life in recent months. In February, a man was arrested after trying to target the scholar during a photo session at the same academy. Mirza, who has a large online following for his lectures on religious topics, has faced previous security incidents, including an assassination attempt in Jhelum in 2021.
Mirza was previously arrested in August last year under preventive detention laws and released on bail in December. Pakistani authorities have not linked the latest attack to any specific group, and the investigation continues.
The incident has drawn attention to security arrangements for public religious figures in Pakistan, where scholars and clerics occasionally face threats amid sectarian tensions and differing interpretations of faith. Mirza is known for his YouTube channel, which has millions of subscribers, and for his distinctive approach to Quranic teachings.
Police officials emphasised that prompt action by on-duty personnel averted a larger tragedy. Further details on the probe are expected in the coming days as authorities examine CCTV footage and other evidence from the academy vicinity near GTS Chowk in Jhelum.
The Chenab Times News Desk