ISLAMABAD – President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has approved the de-notification of Islamabad High Court Judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri after he was declared disqualified in a degree-related case.
The approval was granted on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The President endorsed the de-notification following the Islamabad High Court’s decision, which declared Justice Jahangiri’s appointment illegal.
According to the court’s ruling, Justice Jahangiri did not meet the eligibility requirements at the time of his appointment, as he was not qualified with a valid LLB degree. The Islamabad High Court directed that he vacate the judicial office on this basis.
Following the court’s decision, the president formally approved the de-notification, removing Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri from the position of judge of the high court.
IHC Ruling
On Thursday, IHC ordered the removal of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, ruling that his law degree was invalid at the time of his judicial appointment.
The verdict, delivered by division bench led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, comes amid escalating tensions within Pakistan’s judiciary. The 2-member bench declared that Justice Jahangiri must vacate his office immediately and directed the Law Ministry to officially denotify him as a judge.
The decision comes amid series of confrontations between Justice Jahangiri and CJ Dogar. Just a day prior, Jahangiri accused chief justice of bias against him and petitioned Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to block IHC from hearing the challenge to his law degree. In a bold move, he also lodged a complaint with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the top body responsible for investigating judicial misconduct, against the chief justice himself.
Crucial evidence came from the University of Karachi (KU), whose registrar submitted documents confirming that the KU syndicate had canceled Jahangiri’s degree for being obtained through “unfair means.” Records show that in 1988, Jahangiri was caught cheating and causing a disturbance in an examination hall, resulting in a ban on sitting for exams until 1992. Shockingly, he allegedly appeared for an exam in 1989 under a different name, an act described by the KU registrar as a blatant violation of the ban. Marksheets and logs submitted to the court further corroborated the syndicate’s decision.
During proceedings, Justice Jahangiri’s lawyer, Advocate Muhammad Akram Sheikh, challenged authority of bench to hear case, arguing that judges facing legal proceedings should not preside over petitions involving other judges. Sheikh also referenced prior intra-court appeal filed by Jahangiri and four other IHC judges in July, contesting a Supreme Court decision on IHC seniority.
The lawyers also pointed to Sindh High Court (SHC) stay order that temporarily suspended cancellation of Jahangiri’s degree, arguing that the IHC bench should refrain from hearing the matter. Barrister Salahuddin Ahmad, also representing Jahangiri, requested more time to submit a formal reply.
The petitioner, lawyer Mian Dawood, accused Justice Jahangiri of manipulating the SHC order, claiming that instead of clearing his name, he was filing multiple petitions and publicly attacking the chief justice. After considering all arguments, the IHC reserved its judgment and delivered the bombshell decision: Justice Jahangiri’s removal from office.
The controversy over Justice Jahangiri’s law degree first surfaced last year when a letter, allegedly from KU controller of examinations, circulated on social media.
