Mirwaiz-led delegation to meet Waqf Bill panel chief tomorrow

Jamia Masjid chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will lead a delegation on Friday to meet Jagdambika Pal, the chairman of the joint committee of Parliament examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, in New Delhi.

The delegation will comprise members of the Muttahida Majlis-E-Ulema (MMU), who represent prominent religious and social bodies of the Muslim community in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is for the first time the Mirwaiz, who also heads the Hurriyat Conference, has stepped out of the Kashmir Valley post abrogation of the special status of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mirwaiz said the delegation includes representatives from Kashmir, Jammu, Leh and Kargil. “It aims to 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,” he said.

The MMU had previously sought time to meet the JPC chief to discuss the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 2024.

Earlier in a letter addressed to Pal, the MMU, while reiterating the importance of timely dialogue, had said the proposed amendments have raised significant concerns within the Muslim community.

“This matter is of utmost importance and urgency as it directly affects the religious and charitable institutions that are integral to our community’s welfare and autonomy,” it said. The organisation highlighted that the proposed changes might undermine the autonomy and fundamental purpose of Waqf properties.