The Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and Ziauddin University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 1, 2023, to develop jointly develop a framework and a legal study for the registration of waqf land. This study will help to understand the modality of waqf land in ICCIA member countries to operationalize ICCIA’s Green Waqf initiative and other activities focused on the institution of waqf. The project aims to provide a practical Islamic solution to tackle climate change, preserve biodiversity, and combat poverty by reviving the historical concept of the waqf.
The Green Waqf Initiative is a unique initiative that seeks to revive a historically proven model that caters to cultural and religious sensitivities and promotes practical solutions within the 57 Muslim-majority countries of the OIC but beyond. As part of the MoU, ZU’s Faculty of Law, Politics & Governance Centre for Human Rights will lead research around waqf legislation in Pakistan, working in collaboration with the ICCIA to assist in the launch of the first pilot project. The initial phase of the project will focus on Pakistan’s legal landscape around the waqf, but it is projected to expand to other jurisdictions, including other OIC member states.
Mr Syed Muaz Shah, the Centre for Human Rights department’s lead researcher, will coordinate with Mr Saad Pasha from the ICCIA to oversee the study, with students expected to contribute to the research. The MoU was signed by H.E. Yousef Hasan Khalawi, the Secretary General of the ICCIA, and the Vice Chancellor of Ziauddin University Dr Irfan Hyder on behalf of their respective organizations.