A day after the J&K Government said that no land of Wakf Board is under illegal occupation, Minister of State for Haj and Auqaf Farooq Andrabi today said that over 5,000 kanals of Wakf Board is under illegal occupation of government departments, security forces and civilians.
The minister’s contradicting response in two days drew flak from Congress’ Legislative Council member Ghulam Nabi Monga who requested Upper House Chairman Anayat Ali to take notice of the “misleading” information being provided by the minister on the issue.
“The Wakf land in possession of Auqaf is 90,653 kanals and one marla and illegally occupied by the Army and other paramilitary forces is 2,710 kanals 16 marlas, by government departments is 896 kanals 15 marlas and by civilians is 2,390 kanals and one marla (approximately),” Andrabi said today in the Legislative Council in a written reply to PDP MLC Zafar Manhas.
The minister said the government was pursuing the matter with all departments concerned and agencies to either seek regularisation of the occupied land or ensure its vacation.
Andrabi also informed the House that land measuring 96,650 kanals and 13 marlas has been notified as Wakf land in the state, of which 55,014 kanals and 16 marlas is in Kashmir province and 41,635 kanals and 17 marlas in Jammu province.
On Tuesday, the minister had said that no land of Wakf Board is under illegal occupation of any department, individual or Army in the state.
“It’s quite contradictory and you should take notice of the issue,” Monga said when the minister replied to the question of Manhas.
However, the minister said yesterday’s reply was of Wakf Board and today it was of Wakf Council.
“I don’t know how this answer got exposed in media when it was not read here,” the minister remarked.
5,000 Kanals of Wakf land in illegal occupation : Govt
