J and K Waqf Board Th Bashir Ahmed Bhat v. Union of India Th Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, New Delhi and Others

JUDGMENT (ORAL)

¶01The Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board, acting through Dr. Bashir Ahmed Bhat (JKAS), Special Officer Auqaf, UT of J&K/UT Admin, UMEED Central Portal, has come forward with the present writ petition filed on

05.12.2025, thereby seeking the following reliefs:-

CERTIORARI:- Quashing the decision/announcement of respondent No. 2 in the meeting held on 12.11.2025 to the extent of fixing 05.12.2025 as the last date of filing of waqfs data in the UMEED Central Portal in terms of Section 3B of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

Serial No. 124 Supplementary List-I

MANDAMUS:-

i) Commanding the respondent Nos. 1 & 2 to extend the time in filing/uploading of Waqf properties on the UMEED Central Portal by six months in terms of Section 3B of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 in view of the lapse of time due to serious technical glitches and the issues faced by the UMEED Central portal.

ii) Commanding the respondent Nos. 1 & 2 to extend the time in registration of existing Waqfs on the UMEED Central Portal in terms of Section 36 of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 in view of the lapse of time due to serious technical glitches and the issues faced by the UMEED Central portal.

iii) Commanding the respondents to consider the date of notification of Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025 i.e. 3rd of July 2025 as starting point for the purpose of counting the period of limitation prescribed under Section 3B and Section 36 or under any other provisions of United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

¶02The extension of time was being solicited in view of lapse of time due to serious technical glitches and the issues faced by the UMEED Central portal.

¶03This Court came to grant indulgence in terms of an order dated 05.12.2025 in the matter by calling upon Mr. Vishal Sharma, learned DSGI for the respondents to accept notice and take cognizance of the situation confronting the petitioner.

¶04The cause setup in the writ petition is very genuine one, which urges this Court to come up with a direction for enabling the requisite extension of time in favour of the petitioner for acting in compliance with the

requisite legal course of action mandated by the operating directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in terms of its order dated 01.12.2025 passed in Writ Petition(s) (Civil) No. 276/2025.

¶05Today, Mr. Ayjaz Lone, learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that before ending 31st January 2026, the needful compliance would be done without seeking for further extension of time, unless and until some unforeseen exceptional circumstances intervene making it impossible for carrying out compliance to its full effect.

¶06In view of the aforesaid undertaking so registered by Mr. Ayjaz Lone, learned counsel for the petitioner, this writ petition is disposed of with a direction unto the petitioner to do the needful exercise to its logical completion by or before ending 31st January 2026 without any fail and without availing scope for any further extension.

¶07The present writ petition is, accordingly, disposed of along with connected application.

(RAHUL BHARTI) JUDGE JAMMU

09.12.2025

Bunty

Whether the judgment is speaking: Yes/No Whether the judgment is reportable: Yes/No

Jammu

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU & KASHMIR AND LADAKH AT JAMMU CM No. 7859/2025 Date of pronouncement : 09.12.2025 Uploaded on : 31.12.2025 J&K Waqf Board ….Petitioner Through:- Mr. Ayjaz Lone, Advocate. V/s Union of India & Ors. …..Respondents Through:- Mr. Vishal Sharma, DSGI with Mr. Eishaan Dadhichi, CGSC. \ CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAHUL BHARTI, JUDGE