Islamabad, December 18, 2025: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the removal of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri from judicial office, ruling that he was not eligible for appointment as a judge due to holding an invalid LLB degree.
The verdict was announced by a two-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and comprising Justice Azam Khan. The bench held that Justice Jahangiri did not possess a valid law degree at the time of his appointment, rendering the appointment unlawful.
The court directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to remove and de-notify Justice Jahangiri with immediate effect.
Background of the case
The case stems from a long-running controversy surrounding Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree, which was cancelled by the University of Karachi (KU). According to a KU notification dated September 25, the university syndicate, in its meeting held on August 31, 2024, approved “Resolution No. 6” in compliance with a decision of the competent authority, endorsing the recommendations of the Unfair Means Committee (UFM).
Justice Jahangiri did not appear in person during Thursday’s proceedings. He was represented by senior counsel Akram Sheikh and Barrister Salahuddin.
Barrister Salahuddin argued that multiple petitions relating to Justice Jahangiri were pending before the court and urged the bench to first take up those matters. Advocate Akram Sheikh informed the court that Justice Jahangiri had also initiated proceedings against the IHC chief justice and other transferred judges, alleging violations of due process.
In contrast, Advocate Mian Dawood contended that Justice Jahangiri had appeared in earlier hearings and raised objections to the bench. He said the judge had initially sought a single bench hearing and later requested the matter be heard by a full court, while also seeking the exclusion of the chief justice and other transferred judges.
Dawood further submitted that in writs of quo warranto, the Supreme Court had empowered courts to scrutinise every document related to an officeholder’s eligibility. He alleged that Justice Jahangiri had taken a false oath and failed to produce his LLB Part I and Part II marks sheets.
Allegations of bias raised
During the hearing, Advocate Sheikh alleged apparent bias in the proceedings, arguing that the case was rooted in prejudice. He informed the bench that cases against the IHC chief justice were pending before the Federal Constitutional Court and the Supreme Judicial Council, questioning whether the chief justice could “settle scores”.
Barrister Salahuddin sought an indefinite adjournment and requested 30 days to submit replies in the connected petitions.
Karachi University’s stance
Karachi University Registrar Imran Siddiqui appeared before the court and submitted original academic records relating to Justice Jahangiri’s degree. In response to a query from the bench, the registrar confirmed that the university had taken a final decision to cancel the degree.
Barrister Salahuddin countered that the cancellation had been challenged before the Sindh High Court (SHC), which had suspended KU’s declaration. He maintained that Justice Jahangiri had appeared in all three parts of the LLB examinations and that the matter involved procedural irregularities rather than a fake degree.
However, the KU registrar told the court that Justice Jahangiri had been caught using unfair means, leading the UFM to impose a three-year ban for cheating and threatening an examiner. He added that Justice Jahangiri was eligible to reappear in examinations after 1992 but instead used a fake enrolment form to obtain the degree.
The registrar further pointed out discrepancies in the names used by Justice Jahangiri in different examinations and stated that Islamia Law College had no record of his enrolment. “Justice Jahangiri appeared in the LLB examination through a fake enrolment number,” Siddiqui told the court, adding that the KU syndicate cancelled the degree on these findings.
Islamabad Bar Council lawyer Raja Aleem Abbasi, however, maintained that the university’s decision to cancel the degree had been suspended by the Sindh High Court.
Despite these arguments, the IHC ruled that Justice Jahangiri’s appointment was unlawful due to the absence of a valid law degree at the time of his elevation, and ordered his removal from office.
