SRINAGAR: Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi on Thursday termed an order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar seeking scrutiny of Zakat collections unconstitutional, alleging it infringes upon religious freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
In a statement, the legislator said the directive undermines the autonomy of Muslim endowments and amounts to unwarranted government interference in religious affairs. He argued that such measures violate Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to freely profess, practise and manage religious matters.
Mehdi maintained that charitable obligations such as Zakat fall within community-managed religious practices and should remain free from arbitrary administrative control. He described the move as authoritarian and called for the immediate withdrawal of the order.
Meanwhile, District Magistrate Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma (JKAS) has issued a detailed order regulating and monitoring the collection of donations during the holy month of Ramadan 2026, stipulating that no individual or organisation shall collect charity without prior authorisation from the competent authorities. -(KL)
