Dawoodi Bohra community seeks exemption from Waqf amendment bill during JPC meeting
New Delhi: The Dawoodi Bohra community on Tuesday, petitioned for exclusion from the Waqf Amendment Bill, citing the need to protect their unique religious practices and administration. Represented by Senior Advocate Harish Salve, the community asserted its rights before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Tuesday, requesting that Dawoodi Bohra properties remain outside Waqf Board jurisdiction. Salve emphasised that the community’s al-Dai al-Mutlaq leadership, recognised by the Supreme Court, should retain control over its assets, arguing that Waqf Board authority would compromise their fundamental rights.
The JPC session also heard from other organizations, including the Akhil Bhartiya Adhivakta Parishad and academic representatives, who broadly supported the bill while suggesting adjustments. However, debates around the Waqf Amendment Bill intensified as Opposition MPs accused JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal of arbitrarily managing discussions. Opposition parties, including Congress, DMK, and AAP, raised concerns with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that non-stakeholders were prioritised in the sessions, limiting the Opposition's input.
With approximately 25 sessions already conducted, the JPC is set to reconvene after November 9, resuming consultations with stakeholders across various states. Despite opposition complaints, Chairman Pal defended the JPC’s inclusivity, stating that regular meetings provide all members adequate speaking time.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
