Darakshan justifies action
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 19: Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board (JKWB) has disbanded all the local Waqf/ Auqaf committees throughout the Union Territory of J&K.
An order to this effect was issued by Chief Executive Officer of the Board here today.
The Board has urged all the Government departments and public in general that any communication and decision of any such local committee at any Waqf Unit should not be entertained. It said the decision was taken to ensure smooth, systematic, transparent and legally viable management system at all the Waqf Units throughout the UT of J&K.
The Order further read that all the local Waqf /Auqaf Committees shall be deemed as void ab-initio throughout J&K and any kind of interference by such local Waqf Committees be reckoned illegal and to invite action under law as all the Waqf/Auqaf Committees will be managed by J&K Waqf Board only.
The decision was taken in pursuance to Central Waqf Act , 1955 extended to Jammu and Kashmir UT. With the constitution of new J&K Waqf Board it has taken overall control/ management of all shrines/Ziarats including other assets /properties under the Muslim specified Waqf in whole UT of Jammu and Kashmir, the order read.
The Order further stated that no Association/Self styled local Auqaf Committee/ management have any legal standing under the provisions of Central Waqf Act 1955 and no such Committee has any kind of registration of validation from J&K Waqf Board.
Chairperson of J&K Waqf Board, Dr Darakshan Andrabi while justifying the action said that there was no fun of existence of old and self styled Waqf and Auqaf committees after the formation of J&K Waqf Board.
She said all these old Committees were self styled and they have been now declared null and void under the Central Waqf Act of 1955. She said, however, after the constitution of J&K Waqf Board these self styled committees were interfering in the functioning of the Board and despite being asked to desist from the same they did not mend their ways prompting the Board to take action and issue the order of disbanding them.
She said the Waqf Board will directly manage the affairs of all such shrines and Ziarats which were under the control of these so called Waqf and Auqaf Committees so that they are also managed in a transparent manner.
She said these Committees had political interference and they were running the agenda of some political parties. She strongly advocated that there should be no political interference in the functioning of religious institutions.
Dr Andrabi said the people running these committees were doing politics while the Board is managing them in an honest way and transparent manner so that these assets can be utilized for the public welfare and not for the personal use of certain dynasties.
She said since taking over as the head of the Board many decisions were taken for preservation of Waqf properties in the UT and protecting them for posterity and utilizing them for the public welfare. She made it clear that no political interference in the affairs of Waqf will be allowed henceforth.
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