PDP move to restore Waqf Board to MMU dropped in Assembly ballot
India undermining Muslim religious independence in IIOJK
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the dropping of a resolution seeking to hand over custodianship of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board to the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU) has sparked concern among religious and political circles, who view it as another attempt by the Modi regime to erode Muslim religious independence in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the resolution moved by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) proposed that the Waqf Board, which manages major Muslim shrines, mosques, and charitable properties in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, be handed over to the MMU — an umbrella body representing major Sunni and Shia religious organizations. The proposal was, however, dropped during the private members’ ballot process in the so-called Assembly.
Observers say the decision reflects the Indian regime’s systematic effort to keep religious and community institutions under its direct control. The MMU, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has long advocated for unity among Muslim sects and the protection of religious endowments from state interference.
The exclusion of the PDP’s resolution comes amid growing criticism of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, which has given control of Muslim endowments under New Delhi’s administrative machinery. Religious scholars and civil society leaders say the move has further alienated Kashmiris and stripped them of the right to manage their religious affairs independently.
