Waqf owns 1,400 properties worth hundreds of crores in Amritsar

As the nation debates the implications of the Parliament’s approval to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, what remains largely unknown is that the Muslim body owns nearly 1,400 properties in Amritsar alone, with their combined value running into hundreds of crores.

Among these, 30 properties are situated in a prime area along the road leading to the Jallianwala Bagh and the Golden Temple. These properties date back to the pre-Partition period when Muslims constituted a majority in the walled city.

The Waqf authorities had, according to a notification dated January 9, 1971, identified 3,378 Sunni properties in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts. These included mosques, graveyards, takia (tombs) and khanqahs (spiritual centres).

Patti, Tarn Taran and Ajnala have 416, 867 and 834 such properties, respectively, among them large tracts of agricultural land.

The Waqf board is the sole custodian of these properties. The rent collected is primarily used to pay salaries to imams (Rs 6,000 each per month) in mosques. The money is also used for the maintenance of structures and to cover legal expenses as several properties are mired in legal disputes. As per norms, the board cannot charge rent exceeding 2.5 per cent of the prevailing collector rate.

In Amritsar, Jama Masjid Khalifa Raza-E-Musafa is regarded as the oldest among the operational mosques. It is believed to stand at the place where Sufi saint Sai Hazrat Mian Mir offered namaaz after laying the foundation stone of the Harmandar Sahib, symbolising the city’s rich culture harmony.

Located just 100 yards from the Golden Temple, the mosque shares a wall with the Jallianwala Bagh. To sustain its upkeep, it has rented out several shops. A diary believed to have been maintained by Sai Mian Mir mentions that the saint offered namaaz here continuously for 14 days. The diary has been preserved by his descendants in a bank locker in Lahore.

Another prominent shrine in the holy city is Jaan Mohammad Masjid, which was built by businessman Jaan Mohammad about 165 years ago. Located opposite the Town Hall and less than 500 metres from the Jallianwala Bagh and the Golden Temple, the mosque has 15 shops on the ground floor while its main hall, housed under a dome, is on the first floor.

Masjid Khairuddin, a 156-year-old shrine, is the largest Waqf–owned religious structure in the city, spread across nearly one acre in the prime Hall Gate area. It has seven shops, four of which are under litigation. It was built by Khairuddin, a colonial-era railway director.

On the same road is Masjid Sikandar Khan, which has five shops attached. Masjid Hamza Sharif, which is over 150 years old, also has five shops, most of which are facing legal dispute.