Hope SC stays Waqf Act: Telangana minority affairs advisor

Hyderabad: Advisor to Telangana government on minority affairs, Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Wednesday, April 16 expressed hope that the Supreme Court will stay the Waqf Amendment Act 2025.

Being one of the petitioners against the Waqf Act, Shabbir attended the Supreme Court hearing in New Delhi. He welcomed the court’s observation on certain provisions of the act. Following the hearing, the advisor addressed the media and said he was encouraged by the constitutional questions raised by the bench, particularly around the inclusion of non-Muslims in waqf institutions and the threat posed to the centuries-old waqf properties.

Also Read

“Today’s hearing vindicated our stand. The court clearly indicated that this law raises serious constitutional concerns. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will grant a stay on implementing the Waqf (Amendment) Act,” he said.

The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, heard over 100 petitions filed against the Waqf Act, which was passed by Parliament on April 4 and received Presidential assent on April 8.

Shabbir is being represented in the case by senior counsels Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid. “The SC bench questioned the rationale behind allowing non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and asked the Centre whether similar inclusion would be allowed in Hindu religious boards. It also expressed concern over the delegation of quasi-judicial powers to district magistrates to decide waqf property disputes and the challenges faced in documenting centuries-old mosques and religious structures created by long-standing usage,” Shabbir said.

AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Telangana State Waqf Board member Syed Akbar Nizamuddin, and several others from the state filed petitions in the apex court challenging the validity of the new Waqf Act.

Get the latest updates in , , , , and on & by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for and .