Slow pace of Ayodhya trial main issue on MPLB agenda

LUCKNOW: Slow pace of Ayodhya trial in CBI court is one of the main issues on the agenda coming up before annual working committee meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). The meet is slated to be held in Aurangaband on June 6.Talking toTOI on Thursday, senior member of board and lawyer Zafaryab Jilani said recenttransfer of the chief judicial magistrate, Faizabad who was presiding over thetrial, has led to a reasonable apprehension about further delay in the matter.Since 2007 to the present day, the special court has been able to recordstatements of only eight witnesses while the ninth witness is still deposingbefore it. The transfer of the judge at the crucial time could complicate thingshe said more so as the successor a lady is already on maternityleave.The matter will be raised in Aurangabad, Jilani said. Thedevelopment goes against the assurance given by home minister P Chidambaram whohad promised an expeditious trial of all demolition cases during the discussionon the Liberhan Commission's report in parliament. The board, Jilani said, hadalso demanded day-to-day trial in the case. However, the long gaps in the datesfor hearing continue and it shows that the request had fallen on deaf ears.Thelackadaisical approach of the CBI in the matter will also come up fordiscussion, he said.Moreover, the meeting will take up the WaqfAmendment Bill passed by parliament on May 7. "Prime minister Manmohan Singh hadpromised that he would seek opinion from all Muslims MPs before the passage ofthe bill but nothing to this effect was done." The bill, according to Jilani,has many glaring anomalies which if ignored would have graverepercussions.For instance, the unbridled power to the chiefexecutive officer of the Waqf Board has been butt of fierce criticism. "Theofficial, according to the provision, can ignore the wishes of the board indecision-making and this kind of unchallenged authority has led to much concernamong the members of AIMPLB," Jilani pointed out.