Setting a landmark, the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Wakf Board for the first time today held hearing of the pending cases with its property users at it office here under its judicial powers.As per the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Specified Wakfs and Specified Wakf Properties (Management and Regulation) Act, 2004, the vice chairman has the judicial powers and acts as a judge to hear the cases and deliver orders as per the laws and bylaws of the board.On the first day, the court heard the cases of two cases of shopkeepers, who shops have been sealed for running them unauthorisedly in Dalgate, and a hotel in Dalgate.Vice Chairman Peer Mohammad Hussain, who acted as appellant authority of the Board, heard the appeals of the shopkeepers and the hotel user through their counsels. While the standing counsel of Wakf, Fasial Qadri filed objections and pleaded for the Board.The officials said for the first time Wakf VC heard the case for the first time after the Act of 2004 was set up.
An official, who wished not to be named, told KNS that earlier the Wakf property was given users without following any rules. He said that favoritism and nepotism has been as norm while allotting Wakf property to users. “Everything was decided in closed doors, and blue-eyed and influential people were given priority while leasing or renting the property was concerned,” the official said.As per the Board laws, no civil court has the power to hear the cases pertaining the Wakf Board. Only High Court can hear the writ petition and appeals about the Wakf disputes.The judicial powers vested in the VC and the prescribed authorities is a landmark decision as it will resolve all the disputes with the users of the Wakf properties, which have been unauthorisedly used by the users and others tenants in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.Wakf Board has around 1400 shops and some hotels in Srinagar city which fetch it peanuts as rent as these users are mostly defaulters and owe crores of money to the board as rent and lease money.People have welcomed the beginning of the hearing of cases by Wakf under its judicial powers, saying that if the cases are heard and decided with justice, the Wakf property can become useful for the public as the money generated from its property can be utilized for building infrastructure and educational institutions. (KNS)