Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led delegation to meet Waqf Bill panel chief on Friday

New Delhi: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, religious head of Kashmir, will lead a delegation on Friday to meet Jagdambika Pal, the chairman of joint committee of Parliament examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill here.A brief statement issued by Mutahida Majlis-E-Ulema (MMU), headed by the Mirwaiz, said the delegation would highlight its strong reservations regarding certain provisions of the Bill that will have far-reaching implications for the management and autonomy of Waqf properties and the welfare of Muslim communities especially the underprivileged.

This is for the first time the Mirwaiz, who also heads the virtually defunct separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference, has stepped out of the Kashmir valley post abrogation of the special status of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.The MMU had written to Pal twice seeking time to meet him to convey its “serious” concerns about the proposed amendments to the Waqf Bill.

In a reminder to his September letter, the Mirwaiz wrote to Pal and had sought an urgent meeting to discuss the proposed amendments.The Mirwaiz expressed significant concerns regarding the amendments, which the MMU believes can adversely affect religious, social and charitable institutions within the community.The organisation highlighted that the proposed changes might undermine the autonomy and fundamental purpose of Waqf properties.

The MMU — a coalition representing various Islamic organisations, Ulemas, and academic institutions in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh — believes that the proposed amendments threatens the interests of the Muslim community and violates fundamental rights.”The proposed amendments, as outlined in our previous correspondence, pose serious challenges to the autonomy and purpose of Waqf properties. These proposed changes have created widespread distress and apprehensions among the Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir,” the MMU letter had stated.

“As a result, it is imperative that these concerns be addressed through meaningful dialogue rather than unilateral actions. We believe that a meeting with your good self will provide an opportunity for that,” it added.The Mirwaiz had stressed that Jammu and Kashmir, “being a Muslim-majority state, requires its concerns to be heard and addressed thoughtfully”.

The Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha was referred to a joint committee of Parliament after a heated debate, with the government asserting that the proposed law did not intend to interfere with the functioning of mosques and the opposition saying it targeted Muslims and calling it an attack on the Constitution.The Lok Sabha had adopted a resolution to extend the tenure of the committee till the last day of the Budget Session this year.

The committee was initially scheduled to submit its report on November 29 but Pal and BJP members of the panel assured angry opposition members that the deadline would be extended.The opposition members of the committee had staged a walkout and slammed Pal for asserting that the panel’s draft report was ready.

In his letter, the Mirwaiz had stressed that the proposed amendments not only violated Muslim personal law, protected under Article 25 of the Constitution, but also exacerbated feelings of insecurity within the Muslim community, which already perceived threats to its religious freedoms.He had emphasised that Waqf properties were dedicated by Muslims for charitable purposes and served the underprivileged.

The proposed amendments suggested increased government control over Waqf institutions, which the MMU viewed as an unwarranted intrusion, he had said.Key concerns outlined in the letter included the government’s plan to grant the collector sweeping powers over Waqf properties, including the ability to alter revenue records.This undermined the very essence of the Waqf Act, which was designed to protect religious and charitable properties, the letter had said.

Additionally, the MMU had also criticised the reduction of Muslim representation in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf boards, noting that the proposed changes would allow non-Muslim members to dominate these bodies.Previously, only one non-Muslim member was allowed while up to 13 non-Muslim representatives can be appointed to the central council now.

The Mirwaiz had suggested that this change could lead to increased communal disputes over mosques and other Waqf properties, potentially opening the door to litigation and state appropriation.The MMU further expressed concern over proposed amendments that would allow the government to remove Waqf properties from protected status, potentially leading to the seizure or sale of valuable assets essential for supporting religious and charitable activities.