The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the removal of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, ruling that he is not eligible to continue as a judge because he does not possess a valid LLB degree.
A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan announced the verdict on a plea that challenging the legitimacy of Justice Jahangiri’s law degree and appointment as a judge.
In its short order, the bench has ruled that Jahangiri ceases to hold office forthwith for “having an invalid law degree at the time of his appointment and confirmation as judge.” It has also directed the law ministry to de-notify him as a judge.
President Asif Ali Zardari, early on Friday morning, approved the de-notification of Justice Jahangiri as a judge of the IHC on the advice of the prime minister. “The president has approved the de-notification of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri as judge, IHC, on the advice of the prime minister, in compliance with the IHC verdict and in accordance with the Constitution and law,” read a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.
The case pertains to a petition contenting Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree is invalid, as the University of Karachi cancelled it. In a notification issued earlier this year, the varsity said its syndicate had approved a resolution in 2024 upholding the recommendation of the Unfair Means Committee to cancel Justice Jahangiri’s degree.
Appearing in court today, University of Karachi Registrar Imran Ahmed Siddiqui said the principal of Islamia Law College had confirmed the judge was never a student. He said Justice Jahangiri was caught cheating and subsequently banned for sitting exams for three years, remaining ineligible until 1992. He alleged that Justice Jahangiri had used a fake enrolment form to bypass the ban, sitting for the exam in 1989 with a different name to obtain his degree instead.
According to Siddiqui, the judge appeared in the LLB Part I exam under the name “Tariq Jahangiri, son of Muhammad Akram,” and the LLB Part II exam as “Tariq Mehmood, son of Qazi Muhammad Akram.” He said the KU syndicate had cancelled the judge’s degree after completing its inquiry.
During proceedings, Islamabad Bar Council counsel Raja Aleem Abbasi said the Sindh High Court had suspended the varsity’s decision to cancel the degree. Advocate Muhammad Akram Sheikh, meanwhile, represented Justice Jahangiri and objected to the bench hearing the case, arguing any judge who faces legal proceedings could not hear the petition involving a fellow judge who had challenged his posting.
Earlier, Justice Jahangiri had filed a petition accusing Justice Dogar of misconduct. He was also one of five IHC judges who, in July, filed an intra-court appeal against a decision of the constitutional bench upholding the seniority list of the IHC that raised Justice Dogar to the top. The five judges had argued that a judge must start his career at any new court at the bottom of the seniority list, as they had taken fresh oaths in accordance with Article 194.