SRINAGAR: The Parliament’s recent adoption of a new Waqf Act has once again thrown the spotlight on the deteriorating state of Waqf properties in Jammu and Kashmir.
With over 32,500 endowment properties entrusted to the care of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, a shocking picture emerges: nearly 1,900 properties have been encroached upon, more than 150 are mired in litigation, and the vast majority have no active management overseeing them.
The data from the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board paints a grim reality.
Out of 32,533 registered properties, a staggering 32,409 properties are listed as having “no management entered” — effectively leaving them orphaned and vulnerable.
Only 59 properties are managed by traditional mutawallis (caretakers), while the Waqf Board directly oversees just 14 properties.
Of the total, 29,967 properties are non-encumbered, but 1,886 properties are encroached upon, highlighting the widespread seizure of these religious endowments meant for community welfare.
The rot, however, runs deep and far back.
Veteran journalist Muzamil Jaleel’s extensive research from 2020 reveals that as early as 2006, government departments, police forces, and private individuals had already illegally occupied 3,144 kanals of Waqf land across Jammu province alone.
The occupation often involved graveyards, mosques, schools, and dargahs. In many cases, the original purpose of the property — religious or educational — was blatantly desecrated.
At Chattha Gujjran in Jammu tehsil, a Waqf-owned mosque was illegally occupied by the Education Department, converted into a school building, and eventually turned into a Gurudwara. Residential houses and an approach road were also carved out from the same plot.
In Samba district’s Thilori Gujjran, a Waqf graveyard was usurped to build a government girls' school and a temple.
Rehari’s 34-kanal graveyard was partially taken over by the Army, despite repeated findings by government commissions in favour of the Waqf Council. Parts of this land were also allotted to civilians without Waqf's permission.
In Chand Nagar, a revered Ziyarat (shrine) was illegally seized, its legal restoration pending with the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, for years.
Occupation of Waqf properties
The occupation wasn’t just by civilians. Government Departments like the Education Department, Health Department, Police, Rural Development Department, and even the Jammu Municipal Corporation are documented to have occupied large tracts of Waqf lands to build schools, police stations, clinics, and public bathrooms, often with no compensation or even acknowledgement.
Perhaps most disturbingly, sacred graveyards, some centuries-old, have been turned into government playgrounds, cremation grounds, and marketplaces.
In Gol Gujral, 17 kanals of Waqf land meant for Muslim burial purposes were transformed into a Shamshan Ghat (Hindu cremation ground) and public pathways. The same pattern repeated across Akhnoor, R S Pura, Samba, and Bishnah—Waqf graveyards first encroached on and then repurposed without any consent or regard for religious sensitivities.
In total, by 2006, encroachments included:
663 kanals in Jammu city
1,055 kanals in Akhnoor
1,046 kanals in RS Pura
350 kanals in Samba
30 kanals in Bishnah
The RTI reply by the Waqf Board to social activist MM Shuja a few years ago reveals:
Over 1,400 kanals of Waqf land are currently encroached upon in the Jammu region alone.
Jammu district is the worst affected with 1,098 properties encroached.
Kathua follows with 313 properties, Samba with 261 properties, Poonch with 119, and Rajouri with 80.
Even areas like Reasi and Ramban report encroachments, though on a smaller scale.
In Kashmir, particularly Srinagar, 11 properties have been encroached on, mostly around the revered Hazratbal shrine.
In a specific case in Dooru Anantnag, 366 marla of agricultural land was found encroached in Nusoo Badragund.
Despite repeated assurances from successive administrations, efforts to retrieve encroached properties remain minimal. Even inquiries initiated by the government in the past have either been buried or ignored, emboldening encroachers further.
What new Waqf Act offers
The recently enacted Waqf Act aims to streamline Waqf administration across India, promising more accountability, digitisation of records, and stricter controls against illegal occupation.
For Jammu and Kashmir, it offers a lifeline — provided the government shows the political will to enforce it.
However, given the magnitude of the existing problem, activists warn that simply passing legislation will not be enough. What is needed is a systematic, transparent, and impartial campaign to retrieve encroached lands, restore damaged properties, and hold encroachers accountable — no matter how influential.
Breakdown of Waqf Properties (Source: Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board):
Grand Total Properties: 32,533
Non-Encumbered: 29,967
Under Litigation (External): 153
Under Litigation (Internal): 0
Encroached Properties: 1,886
Alienated: 0
Others: 98
Information Not Available: 429
Types of Properties:
Graveyards: 15,592
Mosques: 5,009
Shops: 2,954
Dargahs/Mazars: 990
Agricultural Land: 1,662
Schools: 136
Buildings: 301
Khankahs: 790
Plots: 601
District-wise Encroachments:
District Encroached Properties
Jammu 1,098
Kathua 313
Samba 261
Poonch 119
Rajouri 80
Ramban 2
Reasi 1
Srinagar 11 (mostly Hazratbal)
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