Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led delegation to meet Waqf Bill panel chief

SRINAGAR — A delegation of the Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), led by its chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is set to meet the chairman joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill in New Delhi on January 24.

Speaking with news agency KNO, secretary to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Reham said that the delegation will meet Jagdambika Pal, chairman of JPC on Waqf Bill, at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.

The MMU had sought time to meet the JPC chief to convey its concerns about the proposed amendments to the Waqf Bill.

Reham said that the delegation will comprise representatives from Kashmir, Jammu, Leh, and Kargil. “It aims to highlight 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 the Muslim community, especially the underprivileged,” he said.

The contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee led by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal in August last year after criticism and concerns raised by various stakeholders, including the Opposition.

The panel is conducting extensive consultations with government officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members, and community representatives from various states and Union Territories to ensure a comprehensive overhaul of the legislation. The panel is likely to submit its final report to the Parliament in the upcoming Budget Session.