Gunman killed in return fire after attacking cleric Muhammad Ali Mirza in Jhelum

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a religious leader and speaker, barely survived a gun attack in Jhelum on Sunday. An unknown gunman opened fire outside his academy, and police killed the offender in response.

The event took place outside the Quran and Sunnat Research Academy, which is close to GTS Chowk and falls under the City Police Station’s jurisdiction in Jhelum. Police say that the cleric was at the place where he usually gives lectures when the attacker came up to him with a 9mm pistol.

According to police spokesman Kashif Kiani, the suspect came close to the academy, fell down on the ground, and then started shooting. Security guards at the site quickly acted, trying to stop the armed person before firing back.

Chaudhry Shafiq, the Senior Superintendent of Police, said that the attacker was shot and killed right away during the gunfight. He further said that Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza was not hurt during the attack and went on with his normal activities at the academy after it.

A police officer who was in charge of the cleric’s protection was hurt during the shooting. Officials said that the constable was wounded in the foot and was quickly taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Jhelum. Later, medical staff said that his condition was stable and not life-threatening.

After the event, a large number of police officers were sent to the area, and security was made even tighter. Authorities said that the current security measures were in place at the time of the attack and will be strengthened to stop similar events from happening again.

Police say they still don’t know who the attacker is. The National Database and Registration Authority is helping with the efforts to confirm the suspect’s identification. Investigators are also examining whether the attacker had any accomplices or links to a wider network.

District police officials said that a formal investigation has begun to find out why the incident happened, which is still not apparent at this point.

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has had security threats in the past. He has a large following on social media, with more than 3.1 million YouTube subscribers. Earlier this year, he was the subject of a different attack. In March 2021, he survived an assassination attempt in Jhelum.

The cleric has also been arrested before for what he said in public and, at times, not allowed to give addresses because people were worried about possible disturbance.