The High Court in Jammu Kashmir has stayed the orders of the Wakf board of forming a committee at the Khanqah in the Khiram area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
In an official order issued by the Jammu Kashmir High court, the court has directed the SDM Bijbehara to continue to manage the affairs of the Khanqah till the next date of hearing.
On 27th at around 9:30 PM, Wakf Board allegedly issued an arbitrarily for taking over the management shrine.
The Wakf Board was also planning to constitute a Committee of five members, which locals were opposed to. “We have been taking care of the Khanqah for decades. We do not know where the Wakf board came from suddenly. We suspect there is politics involved in the decision of Wakf board to disband the local committee,” a local from Khiram told The Kashmiriyat.
Hundreds of Khanqahs in Kashmir where devotees donate millions of rupees are being taken care of by the Wakf board which was earlier taken care of by the local Government, however, post the abrogation of Article 370 on August 15, 2019, the board is being overseen by the Bhartiya Janta Party, to which many caretakers of the Khanqahs are opposed.
These caretakers in hundreds across the valley, have been taking care of the Sufi Khanqahs in the nooks and corners of the region. However, post the creation of Wakf board, the locals partially lost the control of managing the affairs of the Khanqahs. Many caretakers we spoke to said that pre abrogation, the Wakf allowed the caretakers to manage the affairs of the Khanahs, but post abrogation, the scenario is otherwise.
The petition in te High court was filed by the Local residents of village Khiram Sirhama, Bijbehara (Anantnag), it is their grievance that they apprehend that in terms of Govt order No. 128-JK (Rev) of 2022 on 4 July, 2022, J&K Waqf Board, may constitute a committee by nomination to manage the affairs of Ziyarat Sharif Hazratbal, Khiram, Bijbehara, Anantnag, other than in accordance with provisions of Wakf Act, 1995.
“In the meanwhile, subject to objections and till next date of hearing before the Bench, it is, provided that the management of the Shrine in question shall be continued to be looked after by the Sub Division Magistrate, Bijbehara, in terms of impugned order and shall not be replaced by any committee nominated by J&K Wakf Board, other than by following the provisions of Wakf Act, 1995,” the High court order further read.