Presiding over the 60th meeting of the Central Wakf Council here Friday Khurshid said that he has been personally interacting with the concerned Ministries and hoped that soon the issue will be put before the Union Cabinet for final approval.
“As the issue of these 123 properties has deep legal ramifications, the matter has been referred to the Attorney General of India for his advice. After that the Ministry of Urban Development will take final steps towards de-notifying these 123 wakf properties” he said.
Other important issues discussed at meeting include the Re-unification of Punjab Wakf Board and the establishment of Begum Hazrat Mahal Women Technical University.
The Secretary of the Central Wakf Council, Ali Ahmed Khan, informed the Members that the Ministry of Minority Affairs had examined the issue of Re-unification of the Punjab Wakf Board but has not found it feasible/ appropriate.
Grappling with the issue of providing quality higher education at affordable fees to the students belonging to the Muslim community, various models for establishing a Central Minority status University on wakf properties were also discussed at the meeting. The Secretary of the Council also informed that the work relating to National Wakf Development Corporation is underway in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
One of the Members of the Council, Justice (Retd.) Bilal Nazki – who has been assigned the task of preparing a Vision Document on the Wakf- circulated a brief synopsis of his Vision Document at the meeting for wider consultation.
A suggestion for creation of a ‘Zakat Fund’ for the welfare of needy Muslims was also given at the meeting of the Central Wakf Council.
Among those present at the meet include Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Vincent H. Pala,
Justice S. Haider Abbas Raza (Retd.), Justice Bilal Nazki (Retd.), Tariq Anwar, M.P., Yasmin Ahmed, IAS (Retd.), Liaquat Ali Khan, IPS (Retd.), Prof. (Dr.) Qamar Rahman, Dr. (Mrs.) Zeenat Shaukat Ali, Maulana Mohd. Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, Dr. Zahoor Mohammad Khan, Shakeel Ahmad Syed,
M. Iqbal A. Shaikh, Dr. Syed Shah Khusro Hussaini, Syed Gulam Afzal Biabani alias Khusro Pasha
