J&K Waqf Board honours achievers on Republic Day

Jammu, Jan 26: Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board chairperson Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi on Sunday flagged off the celebrations of “Youm-e-Jamhoriya” (Republic Day) at Waqf Complex, Rail Head, Jammu, amidst dignitaries and prominent citizens from across the Jammu Division.
The event, which aimed to commemorate the adoption of India’s Constitution on January 26, 1950, marked a first for the Waqf Board as it conferred Waqf Awards of Excellence upon 15 achievers, including six religious scholars, seven journalists, two lawyers, a social activist, and a media promoter. They were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the fields of journalism, law, and social activism, according to a Waqf Board statement issued here.
Sanjeev Pargal of the Daily Excelsior, Siddharth Daluja of the State Times, Ishfaq Gowhar of Gulistan News, Ajay Jandial of News X, Surinder Koul of ANI, Tejinder Singh Sodhi of News 18, and Kaneez Zehra of PTI were among the prominent journalists felicitated with the honour. Media Promoter Irfan Ahmad and advocates Aijaz Lone and Mohd Iqbal Dar were also conferred with the award. HR Rehman, a social activist, was also recognised for his contributions.
Best Services Awards were presented to outstanding officers and staff of the Board for their exemplary performance.
Dr Darakhshan Andrabi addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of the Indian Constitution, which, she said, guarantees the rights of all sections of society without any discrimination. She presented a detailed report on the Board’s achievements in creating new infrastructure and facilities at Sufi spiritual shrines in J&K over the past 33 months.
Dr Andrabi termed this era a “transformational period” for the Waqf Board, saying the board took forward-thinking initiatives to promote development and growth.