White paper on Waqf encroachments coming in April next year: Andrabi
Says Waqf is property of Sufi saints and not of any political party or family
Srinagar: Waqf Board chairperson, Dr. Darakshan Andrabi on Wednesday said the white paper about encroachments of Waqf property will be made public in April next year.
Andrabi said files are being prepared to trap big fish and the white paper will be made public when Waqf day will be observed in April next year.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Jashn-e-Kashmir function at Tagore Hall here this evening, she said Waqf day will be observed on the day when the board was reconstituted last year.
Andrabi further said six months have elapsed since the new Waqf Board assumed charge and one year will be completed in April.
“We are just removing dust from the files so far and have taken some steps that will be completed one by one,” she said
She also added that concrete steps to trap big fish involved in encroachments of Waqf properties will be initiated shortly.
Without naming any political party, Andrabi said they will not allow religious places including shrines and mosques in Jammu and Kashmir to be politicized the way successive regimes used to do in the past.
“A total of 1250 employees are working in the Waqf Board at present and these are those employees who were appointed at the time of constitution of the board. I would like to make it amply clear that no new appointments have been made in the board ever-since I was appointed as its chairperson,” she said.
“We are open for any query as we want people to question us for whatever we do. Politics or criticism will not deter us from restructuring this sacred institution which is the property of our great Sufi saints and not of any political party or family,” she added.
She said the government is trying its level best to keep Waqf Board away from politics so that its functioning is not hampered.
Andrabi said that successive regimes were using the board for their personal and political interests.
“People repose their trust in the present dispensation and we don’t want to disappoint them by turning this sacred institution into an industry. We are trying to streamline the Waqf Board and this endeavor of ours will continue,” she said.
