ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the removal of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, ruling that his law degree was invalid at the time of his appointment.
A division bench, led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, issued the ruling after hearing a petition questioning the legitimacy of Justice Jahangiri’s degree and appointment.
The court instructed Justice Jahangiri to vacate his position immediately and directed the law ministry to officially denotify him.
Prior to the ruling, the University of Karachi (KU) Registrar presented records showing that Justice Jahangiri’s law degree had been revoked due to irregularities.
The registrar stated that Justice Jahangiri was caught cheating during an examination in 1988, leading to his disqualification from exams until 1992. However, he allegedly sat for an exam in 1989 under a different name.
In court, Justice Jahangiri’s legal team, led by Advocate Muhammad Akram Sheikh, challenged the bench’s authority to hear the case, citing potential bias due to past disputes involving seniority among IHC judges. They also referred to a Sindh High Court (SHC) stay order suspending KU’s cancellation of the degree and requested more time to respond.
Petitioner Mian Dawood accused Justice Jahangiri of misusing the SHC stay order and avoiding accountability. After reviewing arguments, the IHC bench ruled for his removal.
