Jammu Apr 5: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has declared the historic shrines (ziarats) in Kishtwar as waqf properties, bringing closure to a long‑running legal battle over their status and management.
The court held that the shrines in Kishtwar qualify as waqf properties under the Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Act, 1978, even without a fresh formal dedication, effectively recognising them as “waqf by user.” The judgment affirms that such properties are to be managed by the J&K Wakf Board, rejecting hereditary claims by traditional caretakers (sajjad‑nisheens) and settling conflicts that had dragged on for over four decades.
Successive claims over the ziarats of Saint Farid‑ud‑din and Saint Asrar‑ud‑din in Kishtwar had led to protracted litigation, with earlier judicial observations already treating the associated lands as waqf‑dedicated. By now formally registering them as waqf, the High Court has clarified governance, paving the way for institutional management, protection of religious endowments, and removal of disputes over ownership and revenue rights.
