New Delhi: Kashmiri religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is set to appear before the Parliamentary panel on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Friday. During his appearance, Farooq is expected to express his reservations about the draft legislation.
Notably, the committee led by BJP leader Jagdambika Pal earlier put off its discussions on a draft bill to the next few days after several MPs from Opposition parties expressed their concerns. Apart from Farooq, the committee will also hear the views of the Lawyers for Justice group the same day. The revised schedule was circulated last night, news agency PTI reported.
‘Delegation will put forward its concerns’
Issuing a brief statement on Wednesday, Muttahida Majlis-E-Ulema (MMU), headed by the Mirwaiz, said that the delegation would put forward its grave concerns on certain provisions of the bill. The bill may have implications on the management and autonomy of Waqf properties as well as the welfare of the Muslims. This is also the first time that Farooq stepped out of Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in the former state.
The bill was earlier referred to to the joint Parliamentary committee in August last year. The step was taken after concerns were by various stakeholders. “The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records,” the government had said in September last year.
Panel to submit its report in next few days
It may be noted that the panel is conducting discussions with government officials, Waqf Board members, legal experts, and community representatives from several parts of the country to make sure of a comprehensive overhaul of the legislation. The panel is expected to submit its final report to the Parliament in the next few days during the upcoming Budget session of the Parliament, which will begin on January 31.
