Aizawl, May 6: Union Minister of State for Textiles and External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, clarified that the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 is a reform-oriented initiative designed to enhance transparency, good governance, and public welfare.
Speaking at the Waqf Sudhar Jan Jagran Abhiyan Workshop in Aizawl, Margherita emphasized that the Act is aimed at strengthening the management of Waqf properties and benefiting communities nationwide.
The Minister highlighted the extensive consultations leading to the Act’s passage, with a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining 7,772 petitions over five years. The committee held 38 meetings and engaged with 284 stakeholders, including State Waqf Boards, State Governments, Minorities Commissions, and MPs. The Bill was debated for over 25 hours in Parliament before being passed.
Lalrinliana Sailo, Convener of the Mizoram Waqf Sudhar Jan Jagran Abhiyan, urged for wider awareness of the Act across the country, stressing that the Waqf system fosters social harmony and equality across all religions.
Experts at the workshop explained that Waqf, rooted in Islamic law, involves charitable endowments for purposes like building mosques, schools, or hospitals. These properties are inalienable, meaning they cannot be sold, gifted, inherited, or transferred.
The workshop was part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.
