Supreme Court to Hear Pleas on Oct 28 Seeking Extension for Waqf Property Registration

New Delhi, Oct 14: The Supreme Court has scheduled October 28 for hearing pleas, including one filed by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, seeking an extension of time for the mandatory registration of all waqf properties, including “waqf-by-users,” under the UMEED portal.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was informed by lawyer Nizam Pasha that the six-month deadline for registration under the amended law is approaching, necessitating urgent consideration. Another similar plea has also been listed for the same date.

The top court, in an interim order on September 15, had stayed select provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the clause that restricted waqf creation to those practising Islam for the past five years. However, it did not stay the entire law, upholding the presumption of constitutionality. The court had also rejected arguments that deleting the “waqf-by-user” provision would allow government encroachment, terming such claims as lacking merit.

The “waqf by user” provision allows a property to be recognised as a waqf based on long term, uninterrupted religious or charitable use, even without a formal written declaration by the owner.

Pasha told the court on October 9 that with five months already elapsed since the law came into effect, only one month remains for compliance, urging an extension to ensure proper registration.

The Centre had launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) portal on June 6 to digitise and geo-tag all waqf properties, mandating their registration within six months. The upcoming hearing will determine whether the timeline for registration can be extended.