Hyderabad: Allegations have emerged that the land under Baba Sharfuddin Pahadi Shareef adjacent to Shamshabad airport, which was handed over to the Waqf Board by the Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy government in united Andhra Pradesh, is now under threat.
A minority right activist alleged that leaders, including a minister and his son, have begun occupying the land. Not only is the soil being extracted, but the land allocated to the Waqf Board in survey numbers 90 and 91 is also being encroached upon for the establishment of temples and crematoria.
On February 11, 2009, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy issued a government order (GO) to allocate 50 acres of land to the Waqf Board in the presence of Muslim scholars and leaders. Prominent individuals such as Maulana Hameeduddin Aqeel Hasami, Maulana Raheem Qureshi, then Chairman of the Waqf Board Ilyas Seth, Muhammad Ahmadullah, Muhammad Ali Shabbir, Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi, Akbaruddin Owaisi, and others were present during the ceremony.
Efforts were made to protect the land handed over by the government during the tenure of Maulana Syed Shah Ghulam Afzal Biyabani Khusro Pasha, along with the members of the Waqf Board. However, the activists allege that over the past nine years, two temples have been established on the land, and a crematorium has been constructed at another location. Furthermore, large JCBs and crusher machines are currently being used to break the mountains on the land.
Despite these encroachments, the Telangana Waqf Board has been unable to take any action, and it is alleged that state minister and his son are involved in these activities. Any interference in this matter may pose difficulties for the Waqf Board.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who had made numerous promises to protect properties prior to the formation of Telangana, is now witnessing the destruction of these properties by his party leaders.
He said, in order to prevent further attempts to grab this valuable land near the city, the Waqf Board must take immediate steps to protect it. This includes appointing watchmen and erecting fencing around the area with barbed wire.
The Waqf Board officials, who have been silent during these encroachments, must act swiftly to prevent the properties from becoming disputed and facing legal battles. Failure to take immediate action to halt the occupation of this valuable land could result in the land handed over to the Waqf Board in united Andhra Pradesh, as well as the additional 35 acres of land, becoming embroiled in disputes, leading to costly legal proceedings for the Waqf Board.
