Three of the five members of the Executive Committee of Auqaf-e-Shahi, Bhopal, have tendered their resignation to the Mutawalli, Saba Sultan, on Sunday. Those who resigned included Sikandar Hafiz Khan, ZU Alvi and AbdulTahir.
The outgoing members have made it very clear that resignation was not a result of any impulsive decision, controversy or personal whim. They had accepted to be a part of the Executive Committee only for the betterment and improvement of the management of Auqaf-e-Shahi and the larger good of the people of Bhopal. They felt they were no longer in a position to discharge their responsibilities and functions due to varied reasons including the vested interests deep-rooted over long period in the Auqaf-e-Shahi’s previous dispensations continued to create a discord and lack of cohesiveness at all levels in implementation of decisions taken in the best interest of Auqaf-e-Shahi’s management and the people of Bhopal by the Executive Committee and consequent non-cooperation by the local working and managerial staff at Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah Rubats, thereby foreclosing any options but to part ways softly and amicably, and the second reason is the constant, continuous and ever increasing interference of political nature which is for all to see.
The three members of the Executive Committee who have resigned are non-political in nature, with no political ambitions or any axe to grind against anyone and are professionally managing their respective fields of business and profession. They are categorically of the view that there is absolutely no place for any political interference in the sacred and sincere responsibility given to them as members of the Executive Committee of Auqaf-e-Shahi.They said they were happy that in the short period of association with the Auqaf-e-Shahi, they had done their utmost and had succeeded in many quarters including restructuring the Managerial and Financial set up and thus the functioning of the Rubats both at Makkah Mukarramah and Madina Munnwarah.
Devised and put into place systems, which were conspicuous by their very absence earlier as regards management of finances, maintenance, hygiene administration, accounting, allotment, hospitality, transportation arrangement, human resources of the Rubats rather than leaving to the arbitrary, casual and capricious handling of the non-professional personnel.
The absolute authority given to the Wakeel Nazir Abdul Karim at Madina Munnwarah by the previous administration and their decision to allow transfer funds as huge as 7.5 million Saudi Rivals from the account of the Rubat to his personal account created a risky situation. The members of the Executive Committee have to a great extent neutralised this risk by withdrawal from his personal account of about 4.5 Million Saudi Riyals out of 7.5 Million Saudi Rivals for purchase of a new building of Auqaf-e-Shahi, Bhopal at Madinah Munawwarah to accommodate more Hajis from Bhopal in the coming years.
The Executive Committee managed to strike a deal for initial renting and subsequent purchase of a building in the Norm Aziziya district of Makkah Mukarramah for accommodating Haj pilgrims during Haj 2014. The building proposed to be purchased at a price of 18.5 million Saudi Riyals has all the modern facilities and amenities for the comfort and ease of the pilgrims. With the spiralling real estate prices in Makkah Mukamimah and expansion of Haram it is almost impossible to find a building with similar amenities and finish of the class at the price of 18.5 Million Saudi Rivals that the Committee has negotiated. The execution of purchase deal is subject now to the approval of the Court of Qazi of Makkah Mukarramah as per Saudi law regarding its assessed value.
For the Haj 2014, bulk of costs incurred on transportation and hospitality offered to the Hajis was financed by one of the members of the Executive Committee on account of lack of funds in Makkah Mukaramah and as a noble gesture.It may be added, that since March 2014 all costs incurred in management of the Auqaf -e-Shahi have been incurred by the members themselves and not a penny has been billed to the Auqaf Accounts.The three members have also made a few suggestions to the Mutawalli including effective monitoring of the systems put into place by the Committee members at the two Rubats.Immediate replacement of Wakeel Nazir Abdul Karcem with a competent person of Bhopali origin Saudi National as per Waqfnaama and that the local litigations of Auqaf-e-Shahi, Bhopal to be dealt with by a team of competent lawyers; at present it is in a very bad shape.