Telangana Waqf Board feud out in open, CEO Shahnawaz Qasim removed

HYDERABAD: At a time Telangana Waqf Board is fighting to reclaim thousands of acres of encroached properties, an internal feud came to the fore on Thursday with the board repatriating CEO Shahnawaz Qasim to his parent department, police. It also appointed a deputy superintendent of police as the new CEO and sent it to the state government for approval.
The Waqf Board meeting has raised eyebrows as it was held when the model code of conduct for the Munugode bypoll is in force. The board had written to Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 14 seeking permission to hold its meeting, but went ahead without waiting for the poll panel's nod.
Sources in the minorities welfare department said the board has only power to recommend names and cannot remove or appoint a new CEO.
At its meeting, the Waqf Board appointed a new CEO and the state government might not approve the decision. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Waqf Board chairman Mohd Masiullah Khan said the 2003-batch IPS officer has been repatriated to his parent department as the board requires a full-time officer.
“Since he (Shahnawaz Qasim) is commissioner of minorities welfare department and holding additional charge as CEO of Waqf Board and not devoting much time, the board’s functioning is getting impacted,” Khan said. “Several important files, including the ones related to salaries of muezzins and imams, has been pending for a long time. A full-time CEO is the need of the hour. Workload has increased on the Waqf Board. We have requested the government to appoint a full-time officer,” the chairman said.
The IPS officer was first appointed as commissioner of minorities welfare in March 2018, and took over as CEO of Waqf Board in December 2020. Shahnawaz Qasim was appointed as CEO after the Telangana high court directed the state government to remove the then CEO Mohammad Qasim for failing to protect waqf properties.
“Since the high court is hearing the waqf properties encroachment and protection cases, the court’s permission is also required for replacing him,” an official of the minorities welfare department said.
Shahnawaz Qasim has gained a reputation for cracking down and removing encroachments and cancelling illegal leases of waqf land. When contacted, secretary, minorities welfare department, Ahmad Nadeem said he was not aware of any Waqf Board meeting and its decisions till now. “If it comes to our notice, the state govt will take appropriate decision,” he added.