ISLAMABAD – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) report regarding the degree case of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri has been submitted to the Islamabad High Court.
The response from the University of Karachi is also included as part of the report.
According to the HEC’s report, the commission has no role in the administrative affairs of universities. It stated that the current petition is entirely a matter for the university to address, as the responsibility for issuing degrees lies with the university’s own authorities. The HEC has no involvement in this process.
The report further reveals that Justice Tariq Jahangiri’s degree has never been presented to the HEC for verification. There is also no pending application regarding the degree’s verification. The HEC neither issues nor approves degrees.
The report clarifies that the HEC cannot authenticate a degree unless it is recognized by the relevant university or higher educational institution. The HEC has no connection to the facts or circumstances of this matter.
Karachi University’s response
In its response, the University of Karachi also mentioned the reasons for the cancellation of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri’s degree.
The university outlined that in 1989, Tariq Mehmood was banned for three years by the Unfair Means Committee, which found him guilty of cheating and threatening examiners. This three-year ban was imposed as a result of these allegations.
According to the university’s 1989 decision, Tariq Mehmood was eligible to reappear for exams in 1992. However, he used a forged enrollment form from 1990 to obtain his degree. The form contained a fake stamp from the Government Islamia College.
The University of Karachi’s response further clarified that Tariq Mehmood’s degree was associated with enrollment number 5968/87, which was assigned to a student named Imtiaz Ahmed. Tariq Mehmood had also fraudulently obtained enrollment number 7184/87 for LLB Part 2 in 1990. Using these altered names and enrollment numbers, he obtained his mark sheets and degree.
The response also mentioned that a citizen Irfan Mazher had applied for the verification of Tariq Mehmood’s degree on May 23, 2024. In response to this request, the university re-examined both enrollment numbers.
The Controller of Examinations declared the dual enrollment numbers to be impossible and confirmed that both the degree and mark sheets were fraudulent.
In its response, the University of Karachi further disclosed that the Registrar of the Islamabad High Court, in an email dated July 5, 2024, requested verification of a letter from the Controller of Examinations. The university confirmed the letter, which declared the degree to be false. Additionally, the Principal of Islamia College verified that Tariq Mehmood was never a student at the college between 1984 and 1991.
The case continues to unfold, with the Islamabad High Court set to review the submissions and determine the next course of action.
