In a landmark and contentious ruling, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the immediate removal of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, finding his appointment to be unlawful due to an invalid Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree. The verdict raises profound questions about the vetting process for the nation’s judiciary.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by a twomember bench led by Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and including Justice Azam Khan. The court directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to formally denotify Justice Jahangiri, asserting that he did not possess a valid law degree at the time he was elevated to the bench.
The issue centers on the University of Karachi (KU), which had previously cancelled Justice Jahangiri’s degree. According to a university notification, its syndicate upheld an Unfair Means Committee recommendation after it was alleged the judge had appeared for examinations under different names and enrolment numbers to bypass a ban imposed for cheating.
Further complicating the matter, the university registrar confirmed that Islamia Law College, where Justice Jahangiri was supposedly enrolled, had no record of the credentials used for his LLB Part II exam.
During the hearing, Justice Jahangiri was represented by his counsel, Akram Sheikh and Barrister Salahuddin. Barrister Salahuddin contended that the Sindh High Court (SHC) had already suspended the university’s cancellation decision, arguing the dispute was over procedural irregularities, not a fraudulent document.
Advocate Sheikh went further, alleging bias in the proceedings by citing pending petitions against the Chief Justice and questioning if personal scores were being settled. The lawyer for the Islamabad Bar Council, Raja Aleem Abbasi, also reiterated that the SHC had put a stay on KU’s action against the degree.
Despite the arguments presented by the defense, the IHC’s decision mandates Justice Jahangiri’s removal from his post, setting a significant precedent while legal complexities in other courts remain. The case has spurred a wider conversation on the verification of academic credentials for judicial appointments.