New Delhi, Jan 22: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the religious head of Kashmir, will lead a delegation on Friday to meet Jagdambika Pal, the chairman of a joint committee of Parliament examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill here.
A brief statement issued by Mutahida Majlis-E-Ulema (MMU), headed by the Mirwaiz, said the delegation would highlight its strong reservations regarding certain provisions of the Bill that will have far-reaching implications for the management and autonomy of Waqf properties and the welfare of Muslim communities especially the underprivileged.
This is the first time that Mirwaiz, who also heads the virtually defunct separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference, has stepped out of the Kashmir valley post abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The MMU had written to Pal twice seeking time to meet him to convey its “serious” concerns about the proposed amendments to the Waqf Bill.
In a reminder of his September letter, the Mirwaiz wrote to Pal and had sought an urgent meeting to discuss the proposed amendments.
The Mirwaiz expressed significant concerns regarding the amendments, which the MMU believes can adversely affect religious, social, and charitable institutions within the community.
The organization highlighted that the proposed changes might undermine the autonomy and fundamental purpose of Waqf properties.
The Mirwaiz had stressed that Jammu and Kashmir, “being a Muslim-majority state, requires its concerns to be heard and addressed thoughtfully”.
The Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha was referred to a joint committee of Parliament after a heated debate, with the government asserting that the proposed law did not intend to interfere with the functioning of mosques and the opposition saying it targeted Muslims and calling it an attack on the Constitution.
The Lok Sabha had adopted a resolution to extend the tenure of the committee till the last day of the Budget Session this year.
The committee was initially scheduled to submit its report on November 29 but Pal and BJP members of the panel assured angry opposition members that the deadline would be extended.
The opposition members of the committee had staged a walkout and slammed Pal for asserting that the panel’s draft report was ready.
In his letter, Mirwaiz stressed that the proposed amendments not only violated Muslim personal law, protected under Article 25 of the Constitution but also exacerbated feelings of insecurity within the Muslim community, which already perceived threats to its religious freedoms.
He emphasized that Waqf properties were dedicated by Muslims for charitable purposes and served the underprivileged.
The proposed amendments suggested increased government control over Waqf institutions, which the MMU viewed as an unwarranted intrusion, he had said.