Hope SC stays Waqf Act: Shabbir

Hyderabad: Advisor to the govt, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who is one of the petitioners challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, attended the Supreme Court hearing in Delhi on Wednesday and welcomed the court's strong observations in favour of religious autonomy and minority rights.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Shabbir Ali said he was encouraged by the constitutional questions raised by the bench, particularly around the inclusion of non-Muslims in waqf institutions and the threat posed to centuries-old waqf properties. "Today's hearing vindicated our stand. The court clearly indicated that this law raises serious constitutional concerns. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will grant a stay on the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act," he said.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, heard over 100 petitions filed against the Waqf Act, which was passed by Parliament on April 4 and received Presidential assent on April 8.
Mohammed Ali Shabbir is being represented in the case by senior counsels Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid. "The SC bench questioned the rationale behind allowing non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and asked the Centre whether similar inclusion would be allowed in Hindu religious boards. It also expressed concern over the delegation of quasi-judicial powers to district magistrates to decide waqf property disputes and the challenges faced in documenting centuries-old mosques and religious structures created by long-standing usage," Shabbir Ali said.
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Telangana State Waqf Board member Syed Akbar Nizamuddin, and several others from the state filed petitions in the apex court challenging the validity of the new Waqf Act.