MNS:- Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Minority Affairs, has said that the issue related to the handing over of 123 wakf properties situated in Delhi to the Wakf Board will soon be resolved. Presiding over the 60th meeting of the Central Wakf Council here today Shri 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. Shri Khurshid informed Council that 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.
The important issues discussed at today’s meeting also included the issue of Re-unification of Punjab Wakf Board and the issue of the establishment of Begum Hazrat Mahal Women Technical University. The Secretary of the Central Wakf Council, Shri 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.
Shri Vincent H. Pala, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, was also present on the occasion. The following members were present at the meeting:
1. Justice S. Haider Abbas Raza (Retd.)
2. Justice Bilal Nazki (Retd.)
3. Shri Tariq Anwar, M.P.
4. Smt. Yasmin Ahmed, IAS (Retd.)
5. Shri Liaquat Ali Khan, IPS (Retd.)
6. Prof. (Dr.) Qamar Rahman
7. Dr. (Mrs.) Zeenat Shaukat Ali
8. Maulana Mohd. Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi
9. Dr. Zahoor Mohammad Khan
10. Shri Shakeel Ahmad Syed
11. Shri M. Iqbal A. Shaikh
12. Dr. Syed Shah Khusro Hussaini
13. Shri Syed Gulam Afzal Biabani alias Khusro Pasha
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/60th-meeting-of-the-central-wakf-council-held/
