Leh: On the lines of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory of Ladakh may also soon get Wakf Council to manage the endowments of Muslims.
Before becoming Union Territory, the Wakf Affairs in Ladakh were earlier managed by the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board and the Auqaf department.
On December 5, 2020, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had announced that the government will set up two Waqf Boards in Kashmir and one in Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir has since got Waqf Board which maps the properties in the Union Territory and digitise records. However, the one for Ladakh is expected soon.
During his recent Delhi visit, the Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur was called on by Sabiha Ahmed, member of the Uttar Pradesh Wakf Board. She requested Lieutenant Governor Mathur for the establishment of Wakf Board in Ladakh. The Lieutenant Governor’s response was not known yet.
It may be mentioned here that in August last year, the chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi met Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh R K Mathur. Andrabi presented a memorandum to the LG regarding the constitution of Ladakh UT Waqf Council under the Central Waqf Act for which the Ministry of Minority Affairs had already issued a notification.
She had discussed at length the modalities for the Waqf constitution in Ladakh. The Lieutenant Governor thanked Dr Andrabiand other Waqf delegates for the visit and assured about the immediate constitution of the first-ever Waqf Board for the UT, a spokesperson had said.
During his Leh visit, Dr Andrabi spoke to the press and said that Ladakh will have its first ever Waqf Board soon. “I am convinced that by constitution of the Waqf Body in Ladakh, the shrines and other assets will be managed in a better way. Ladakh is emerging as a world level tourist destination and these shrines and Muslim centres will also be a big attraction for the visitors,” she had said.
