SRINAGAR: Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, on Friday said that unnecessary politics is being played over Waqf properties and clarified that the ongoing registration and verification process is aimed solely at safeguarding religious assets, not targeting any individual or institution.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Andrabi said that even when the Waqf Development Act was passed, it was politicised, but the Waqf Board continued its work in the larger interest of the community.
“When the Waqf Development Act was introduced and passed, politics was done on that as well. Despite that, we worked day and night. The Government of India, through the Ministry of Minority Affairs, introduced the ‘UMEED Portal’ for Waqf development for six months, and we began the process of registering Waqf properties,” she said.
Dr Andrabi said that Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a leading Union Territory in registering Waqf assets.
“Waqf properties in Jammu and Kashmir were registered on the portal, and today J&K stands at number one. This happened because of our continuous efforts,” she added.
Clarifying concerns regarding mosques, she said that if mosques had fallen under Waqf properties, they would have been uploaded on the UMEED Portal.
“As far as mosques are concerned, if they were part of Waqf properties, we would have registered them. There is no need to politicise mosques or mislead people over this issue,” she said.
The Waqf Chairperson said that Waqf has always been dragged into political debates.
“Some politicians survive only by doing politics on Waqf issues. First they said properties would be taken away, then after registration they claimed there were 7,000 properties in Kashmir. One must first verify facts. Had we acted under political pressure, the Waqf Board would not have registered properties transparently on the portal,” she said.
Dr Andrabi stressed that verification of properties should not be seen with suspicion. “Just like land ownership in a household requires proper documents, religious properties like mosques, shrines and gurdwaras also need proper verification. Without documents, disputes can arise,” she explained.
She appealed to Imams, Molvis and mosque committees not to panic.
“I want to assure Imams, religious scholars and mosque committees that there is no political agenda behind this process. This verification is for their own future and for the protection of Jammu and Kashmir’s religious properties,” she said.
Dr Andrabi said that spreading fear or confusion over the issue was unfortunate and should be avoided.
“This is a positive step for Jammu and Kashmir, and people should not be misled or provoked unnecessarily,” she added. (KNC)
