Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Total area of properties controlled by India’s Waqf Board (9.40 lakh square km) is more than the area of Pakistan (8.81 lakh square km).
Fact
The total area owned by the Waqf Board in India is around 3,804 square km, around 232 times smaller than the total area of Pakistan.
Several social media users are claiming that the total area of properties under India’s Waqf Board is more than the area of the whole country of Pakistan. “The area of Pakistan is 8.81 lakh square km. And the area of the Waqf Board is 9.40 lakh square km. One Pakistan was created outside, one was created inside. Keep sleeping, this is the amazing work of Congress,” read an X post by veteran actor Satish Shah, which has amassed 1.8 million views.
The archived version of the post can be seen here. We received this post on our Whatsapp tipline (9999499044), too, requesting us to fact-check it.
Fact Check
Newschecker first ran a keyword search for “Waqf board 9.40 lakh”, which led us to this PIB release from the Ministry of Minority Affairs, dated September 13, 2024, headlined, “Explainer on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024”. “On August 8, 2024, two bills, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha with an aim to streamline the Waqf Board’s work and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties. The objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties,” read the note, listing out FAQs to help provide an understanding of Waqf’s history, laws, regulations and management.
According to the explainer, Waqf Boards currently control 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across India with an estimated value of 1.2 lakh crores. India has the largest waqf holding in the world with the Waqf Board being the largest landowner in India after the Armed Forces and the Indian Railways, stated the press note.
We can see that 9.4 lakh was in acres, and not square km, as claimed in the post. We also came across news reports, seen here and here, reiterating that Waqf Boards control 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across India.
Newschecker found that 9.4 lakh acres is 3,804.04504 square km, while the total area of Pakistan is 8,81,913-square km — around 232 times larger than the land controlled by Waqf boards in India, proving that the viral claim was false.
We have reached out to concerned authorities for their comments regarding the claim and will update this copy once we receive a response.
Conclusion
The viral claim that the area under Waqf boards in India is more than the total area of Pakistan is false.
Result: False
Source
PIB release, September 13, 2024
Consulate General Of Pakistan, Los Angeles website
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
