AJAY TEWARI, J. - (1.) THIS petition would dispose of C.W.P. Nos. 10819 of 2005, 11654 of 2005, 11657 of 2005 and 13926 of 2006 since common questions arise therein. The facts are being taken from C.W.P. No. 10819 of 2005.
(2.) IT is pleaded that in the petition that the Punjab Wakf Board (for short the Board) was superseded on 11.11.1981. and thereafter no fresh Board was constituted. 20 years later C.W.P. No. 8166 of 2001 was filed for issuing directions to the respondents to constitute the Board. By Notification dated 1.8.2003 the State of Punjab established a new Punjab Wakf Board (in succession to the erstwhile Board, the jurisdiction of which extended to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh). By another notification of the same date an Administrator was appointed for the new Board. On 14.5.2004, this Court directed the State of Punjab to constitute the Board within a period of three weeks during the hearing of aforementioned C.W.P. No. 8166 of 2001. It is further pleaded that after a great deal of opposition by the Government, ultimately under the pressure of various court orders, the Board was constituted by the State of Punjab on 11.11.2004 and the petitioner and five other persons were nominated as members thereof. On 18.11.2004, the respondent No. 4 who, incidentally was impleaded on her application was elected as Chairperson of the Board. Further admitted position which has emerged from the record is that acrimonious relations developed between the chairperson and the other members. Eight meetings of the Board were held during the period 11.2.2005 to 25.5.2005 in which, due to the prevalent divisions, the respondent No. 4 did not participate. Matters came to such a pass that the respondent No. 4 addressed a representation to the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Punjab, requesting the Government to dissolve the Board.
(3.) ULTIMATELY , on 15.6.2005, the State Government issued a notice under Section 99(1) of the Wakf Act, 1995 (for short 'the Act') requiring all the six members to show cause as to why the Board should not be superseded. All the members filed their replies and subsequently by order dated 13.7.2005 the Board was superseded.;