Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 5 (ANI): All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board has expressed its support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has been passed by Parliament, and urged the government to bring transparency in the working of Waqf board and ensure rights to women.

Shaista Amber, President of All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board, said earlier governments and religious leaders should have taken the step that the government has taken today.

'Positive work should be done. Those who donate to the Waqf, their intention is that their donation will be used for the poor... But it was not happening. It's not that all the Waqf lands were misused, but the Waqf board didn't work honestly and did not do what they should have. We expect and request from the government that if the bill has come, the Waqf lands be used for the poor section with full transparency. None of the govt to date worked for the Muslims, and they just did the politics for votes,' she told ANI.

Shaista Amber said that the enchroached Waqf lands should be freed.

'We request the BJP government to provide the rights of women and bring transparency to the Waqf board. What other parties did till now, were they asleep? I request the current government that whatever happened to date, they should now help free the lands of Waqf, which have been illegally encroached, an investigation must be done, and action must be taken against the culprits,' she said.

She suggested that houses should be built on Waqf property for divorced women from Muslim community.

She met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2017 and had demanded that Waqf properties should be freed from illegal occupation.

Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed by Parliament earlier this week. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed marathon debates on the bill. The bill was opposed by parties in the INDIA bloc. (ANI)