Syed Azeez Pasha Criticizes Central Government’s Proposed Amendments to the Waqf Act

Hyderabad: Former Member of Parliament and President of the All India Tanzeem, Shri Syed Azeez Pasha, has strongly condemned the Central Government’s proposal to introduce 40 amendments to the Waqf Act.

In a press statement, he expressed deep concerns over the government’s move to bring significant changes to the Waqf Act without consulting key stakeholders.

Pasha argued that the amendments violate fundamental constitutional principles enshrined in Articles 14, 15, and 25. The proposal to replace the existing Waqf Act with a new “Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency & Development Act of 1995” was described by him as a “futile exercise.”

One of Pasha’s primary concerns is the proposal to make the Waqf Tribunal nominal and replace its functions with what he termed as “Collectors’ Raj.” He warned that such changes could lead to the usurpation of valuable lands endowed by philanthropists for humanitarian purposes, particularly for the benefit of needy and deserving Muslims.

Pasha also addressed the controversial induction of non-Muslims into the empowering committee, suggesting that while this could be agreeable to some extent, a similar inclusion of Muslims and other religious communities should be implemented in Mandir Committees and Gurudwara Prabandhak Committees.

Another critical issue raised by Pasha is related to the Waqf land and its protection under the Limitation Act. He cautioned that the proposed amendments would allow those in illegal possession of Waqf land to become legal owners, further exacerbating the issue of land misappropriation.

Pasha criticized the urgency with which the amendments are being pushed through, suggesting that the move is politically motivated to appease followers of hard Hindutva elements ahead of upcoming state assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Delhi. He predicted that the democratic electorate would respond with a strong backlash against such measures.

The press release by Pasha has sparked a debate about the implications of the proposed amendments and their potential impact on the management and protection of Waqf properties across India.