With immediate effect, the Waqf board has imposed a blanket ban on the collection of money across the Khanqahs in Jammu Kashmir.
In this regard, an order was issued here vide order No. JKWB/Adm/ CE/ 1723-25 dated 16th August, 2022.
As per the order issued here, it was given out that despite coming from a reasonably sound economic background, such people are permanently occupying particular spots within the shrines for their activities, and there are instances when such spots are being outsourced or contracted out against receipt of large sums of money that violates the sacrosanctity of the Ziyarats.
Pertinently, Waqf board has its own donation boxes across the Khanqahs and Mosques it has under its control in the Kashmir valley.
Last year, the process of centralizing the locally controlled Waqf board was started. As per the Jammu Kashmir reorganization Act, 133 Muslim mosques and shrines in Jammu Kashmir were put under the Central Waqf Board, while as, All Hindu and Sikh religious places will be governed by the local shrine boards.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the then Union Minister for Minority Affairs had said that after the abolition of Article 370, Waqf properties will be taken over by the Central Waqf board. He said that the property and the income of the shrines in Kashmir will be used for socio-economic-educational activities under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Program’.
He said that the funds of the Waqf board will be under the Prime Minister’s Public Development Program. Naqvi said that for the first time since independence, the government led by Narendra Modi will provide 100 percent of funds for the development of educational and health institutes on Waqf properties across the country.
Sources within the Waqf board told The Kashmiriyat that they have been asked to digitize all their records of the local properties of the Waqf board and start registration of the entire process in a short span.
Jammu Kashmir Muslim Auqaf Trust (MAT) came into existence in 1940 as part of the resistance movement led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. He freed many shrines and mosques of Kashmir under the Dogra rule with the intent to form local community-based help for the destitute.
MAT was disbanded in 2004 by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Waqf came into the picture expecting the Waqf Board to do wonders as the government claimed to have freed the waqf from the Family rule.’
As per official figures, the Waqf board owns 1453 shops, 2160 Kanals of orchard land, 99 Kanals of paddy land, 6840 Kanals of forest land, 32 Kanals of marshy land, and 63 Kanals of Eid gah Land.
In today’s order, the Jammu Kashmir admin said that given out that such unethical practices damage the sanctity of such sacred places, and are detrimental to the already strained finances of the J&K Waqf Board.
“Such pilferages are severely limiting the ability of the Waqf Board to perform basic duties of charity and carry out activities for the upliftment of the poor and disadvantaged groups of the society, and also limit the ability of Waqf to provide different facilities to the Zaireen and carry out infrastructural improvements at the Shrines” read the order.
The order also mentions that such people were repeatedly warned to desist from these activities, as it also sends a very wrong signal to the Zaireen, who are repeatedly requesting J&K Waqf Board to take stern action against such elements.
Now, therefore, “a complete ban is hereby ordered on all such unethical practices across the Shrines of J&K UT with immediate effect. Central Waqf Office shall also be verifying the claims of all those performing different religious activities within the Ziyarats of J&K UT” reads the order.
In the said order, the Executive Officers/ Administrators and staff posted at Shrines/ Masjids have been strictly directed to impose the ban. Any non-compliance with the order is immediately referred to the Central Office so that a complete ban is ordered on the entry of such elements into pious and sacred places like Ziyarats.
Meanwhile, the staff posted at Khanqahs/ Masjids were also directed to paste Notices along with Helpline numbers at conspicuous places within Ziyarats requesting the general public to inform them about such elements. Any dereliction or laxity shown by any employee in this regard shall be viewed seriously and shall invite immediate disciplinary action.