IUST among Wakf properties: Darakshan Andrabi
SRINAGAR — J&K Wakf Board Chairman Dr Darakshan Andrabi on Monday said that the Wakf Board will strive to get control over the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) to run its affairs on its own.
Speaking during a live TV show, she added that IUST is a Wakf property as Wakf Board has provided hundreds of Kanals of land on which IUST functions.
“The land on which IUST functions belongs to the Wakf. Further, crores of rupees were given by the Wakf Board for the construction of this University. I don’t know why previous governments have concealed this fact from the public. Very few people in J&K are aware that this University was built by Wakf. The Wakf Board constructed it in the memory of Sufi Saint Syed Hassan Mantaqi (RA),” she said while responding to the query asked by the TV anchor.
She said that it could have been preferred to name this university in honour of this Sufi Saint. She added that Wakf properties illegally encroached by anyone will be retrieved.
“Wakf properties belong to Allah and Wakf Board as its custodian will take all measures to protect them. We have traders paying peanuts as rent who occupy Wakf properties as tenants. It is all because of the mismanagements of affairs by previous governments,” she said.
Speaking about the proposed cancer hospital to come up at Eidgah Srinagar, she said that the project will be executed “without any doubt.” “I have myself witnessed how cancer patients from Kashmir go to other parts of the country for medical treatment. Most often, these patients sell their valuables to meet the expenses of medical treatment, travel and accommodation. Now, all these will get free of cost treatment in Kashmir after we will have a cancer hospital at Eidgah,” she said.
“I have seen some critics on social media. People at large have lauded the efforts Wakf Board is taking to retrieve Wakf properties. The construction of a cancer hospital is also being lauded. There are some handful of individuals who come as critics as they are no more able to exploit the Wakf properties for their own wrongful gains,” she said while replying to a query.
“Agenda like that of Waheed Parra is no more in existence. We have put an end to the political interference in the affairs of the Wakf Board as was prevalent earlier. An individual namely Mubeen Shah is tweeting in some other part of the world. He should come to Kashmir and then talk,” she said.