Jammu/Srinagar, April 5;2026 : Chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board, Dr. Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, has welcomed the landmark judgment delivered by the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh declaring the revered shrines of Shah Farid-ud-Din (RA) and Shah Asrar-ud-Din (RA) in Kishtwar as Waqf properties, bringing an end to a decades-long legal dispute over their ownership and management.
In an official statement, Dr Andrabi termed the verdict as “historic and decisive,” noting that it conclusively establishes that the two prominent Ziarats are not private ancestral estates but fall under Waqf jurisdiction.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Sanjay Dhar, rejected claims of hereditary ownership asserted by individuals managing the shrines. The Court held that such claims could not be sustained under law and emphasized that the properties qualify as “Waqf by user” due to their long-standing religious and charitable use, even in the absence of formal dedication.
Dr Andrabi stated that the ruling has effectively dismantled “false narratives propagated by vested interests” and reaffirmed the legal position of the Waqf Board regarding the status of these shrines.
“The Court has reiterated that continuous use of religious institutions for pious and charitable purposes is sufficient to bring them within the ambit of Waqf law. Revenue records have consistently reflected these shrines as Waqf properties rather than private holdings,” she said.
She further highlighted that the Court observed earlier legal challenges to Waqf laws had become irrelevant following the enactment of the Waqf Act 1995, which now governs such matters comprehensively.
Calling the judgment a “benchmark ruling,” Dr Andrabi expressed confidence that it would serve as a guiding precedent in similar cases where religious properties are being claimed as private assets based on hereditary rights.
“This historic decision will pave the way for ensuring that such properties are preserved and managed in accordance with their true religious and charitable purpose,” she added.
