Sharif, Maryam to contest verdict; no bed, AC for ex-PM in jail
Islamabad, July 14 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam and her husband have decided to appeal against the July 6 verdict by an anti-corruption court. They were convicted and jailed for owning properties disproportionate to their sources of income.
Nawaz Sharif's legal team was allowed to meet him briefly a day after he was shifted to Adiala jail on the outskirts of Rawalpindi.
Sources said the legal team was allowed to meet for only five minutes. The Saad Hashmi-led legal team went to Sharif to get the power of attorney signed so that an appeal could be filed in the Islamabad High Court, they added.
No bed, no AC has been provided to Sharif in Adiala, the team said, adding that a senior police official was present throughout the meeting. Sharif was not even given a newspaper to read, his bed was a mattress on the floor and the washroom at his disposal was in despicable conditions.
The appeal by Maryam Nawaz and her husband Safdar Awan which will be filed on July 16 was drafted on Saturday. Maryam's legal team was still in Adiala jail to get the power of attorney but was unable to file the appeal before the court hours ended. Court hours last till 1 p.m. during summer vacations.
The appeal -- that highlights the legal flaws in the Avenfield judgement -- asks for the accountability court's verdict to be declared null and void. It further pleads that the sentence of Safdar Awan be suspended till a decision on the appeal is reached.
Sharif and his political heir Maryam were arrested at the Lahore airport late on Friday as they returned to the country in an attempt to rally for their beleaguered party days before the July 25 polls.
High drama surrounded the arrests as the authorities blocked roads, shut off mobile and internet services and deployed thousands of security forces to thwart supporters of the Sharifs from reaching the airport.
The police have arrested at least 600 workers of Sharif's party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, citing security-related charges in the past several days.
Officials from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the anti-corruption watchdog, placed the Sharifs under arrest. Sharif was allotted a 'B' class category in the prison.
According to sources in the know of developments, the plan regarding Sharif and daughter's stay at the jail was amended thrice after which it was decided to allot him a 'B' class jail.
It was also decided to keep Maryam in Adiala jail's women's cell and not in Sihala rest house as suggested earlier.
The trial of two remaining NAB cases against the Sharifs will take place in the jail, according to a government notification.
Besides, the Sharifs will also be tried in cases pertaining to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment and offshore companies, including Flagship Investment Limited, inside the jail.
Meanwhile, the cabinet sub-committee also approved a request to put the three-time Prime Minister and his daughter on no-fly list.
The Sharifs have maintained that the cases are manufactured by their political foes and the country's powerful military.
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Explained: What is Waqf by User?
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The Supreme Court on Thursday resumed hearing petitions that have challenged the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, with key concerns raised about the removal of the concept of ‘waqf by user’. This clause, which has been part of Waqf property recognition in India for decades, was omitted in the latest amendment, raising fears that thousands of longstanding religious properties may lose their legal status.
Appearing for the Central government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the new amendment, saying there was growing concern over large portions of land being declared as Waqf without proper documentation. He said such declarations had created confusion and controversy in many parts of the country.
However, the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) expressed strong reservations about the deletion of ‘waqf by user’. On Wednesday, the bench had clearly warned that the change in law could impact the status of thousands of properties that have been used for religious or charitable purposes for decades—especially those in villages and older urban areas where formal land documents were never created.
During Thursday’s hearing, the Court granted seven days’ time to the Centre to file a detailed preliminary response on the matter.
"Genuine Properties Will Be Affected Too": Supreme Court’s Concern
Raising a crucial question, the CJI asked the Centre, “How will you register such waqfs by user? What documents will they have? It will lead to undoing something. Yes, there is some misuse. But there are genuine ones also.”
The bench highlighted that many waqf properties have been recognised by courts based on long-standing use, not on paper deeds. It added that any move to undo this recognition—by de-notifying such properties—would not be right while the matter is still being heard.
The top court made it clear that waqf properties already declared by courts—whether through written deeds or based on usage—should not be touched until the challenge to the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 is fully examined.
What is ‘Waqf by User’?
In this context, the idea of ‘Waqf by user’ becomes important to understand.
‘Waqf by user’ refers to properties that may not have formal Waqf deeds or registration but have been in continuous public use for religious or charitable purposes—such as mosques, dargahs, graveyards, madrassas, or wells—often for several generations. These properties are treated as Waqf based on usage, not documents.
This concept allowed many old religious properties, especially in rural and semi-urban India, to be protected under Waqf laws, even if no official records were available. The logic was that community usage and religious practice over time was enough proof of the property's nature.
But the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 proposes to remove this recognition, stating that only those waqfs that are properly documented should be registered. This has now led to a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.
Legal Backing in India
The concept of Waqf by user is recognised under The Waqf Act, 1995, and earlier under The Mussalman Waqf Validating Acts during British rule.
Under the Waqf Act, 1995, the State Waqf Boards are allowed to identify, survey and register Waqf properties. While some Waqf properties have formal written deeds, others are registered based on field surveys, public evidence, and usage patterns.
This is particularly important in villages and older towns, where many mosques, dargahs, and graveyards were built centuries ago without formal registration.
Examples of Waqf by User
A small mosque in a village has been used for namaz for over 100 years, but there is no official document showing who donated the land. It is still considered Waqf by user.
A piece of land is being used as a Muslim graveyard for decades. Even if there is no title deed in the Waqf Board's name, the Board can register it as Waqf by user.
A dargah visited by people for generations without any formal land record can be listed as Waqf by user during official surveys.
How is ‘Waqf by User’ Recognised?
The process usually involves the following steps:
Waqf Survey Commissioner conducts a detailed survey in each state.
During the survey, locals and community leaders are consulted.
Properties that have been in religious or charitable use over time are identified.
These are registered under the State Waqf Board, even if no one comes forward as the donor.
The property is then protected under Waqf law.
The registered name in revenue or municipal records may still show as “government land” or “public land”, but once it is declared Waqf by user, it cannot be sold, transferred, or misused.
Why the Controversy?
The Centre argues that many properties have been wrongly declared as Waqf under the ‘waqf by user’ category, leading to land ownership disputes and encroachments. Critics, however, say the removal of this clause could wipe out legal recognition of genuine Waqf properties, especially in areas where such assets were created generations ago without written donations.
The Supreme Court’s current observation suggests that the court may lean towards a more balanced approach—recognising that while there may be misuse, the removal of ‘waqf by user’ entirely would also harm legitimate religious institutions and community properties.
What Next?
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to clarify how it plans to deal with such properties in the absence of ‘waqf by user’ recognition. The next steps in the hearing will determine whether the amendment stands or whether changes will be suggested to protect historically used religious lands.
