Delhi Waqf Board chairman election on October 19; AAP’s Amanatullah Khan set to return

NEW DELHI: The election for the post of Delhi Waqf Board (DWB) chairman will take place on October 19. The position has been vacant since February following the dissolution of the sixth legislative assembly.

The notification issued by principal secretary (revenue)-cum-divisional commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar of Delhi government, on Wednesday, said that all members would meet on October 19 to elect one member amongst themselves as the chairman of the Board.  

All seven members — former Rajya Sabha MP Parvez Hashmi, Himal Akhtar (a member of Delhi Bar Council), Chaudhary Shareef Ahmad (member- Mutawalli quota), and Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan including nominated members – Razia Sultana (Muslim scholar), Naeem Fatima Kazmi (Shia member quota), Azimul Haque (government official) will vote.

According to the sources, recently elected member Khan is likely to return as the head of the panel. Khan previously served as the chairman for around six months in 2016, and again from September 2018 to March 2020. 

Khan had resigned from the Board in 2016 and 2018 over corruption charges. His third term as chairman ended in February this year following the dissolution of the sixth legislative assembly. Khan was re-elected from the same seat later.

Last month, the revenue department had ordered a audit to probe alleged irregularities committed in the Board during Khan’s tenure as chairman. 

​A CBI enquiry is also pending against Khan in connection with the appointments made by him in the panel during his tenure in 2016. Delhi government’s Anti Corruption Branch also booked him, for alleged misuse of the board’s funds.