KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday suspended a notification issued by the University of Karachi (KU) that had cancelled the law degree of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.
The interim relief came during the hearing of a petition filed by Justice Jahangiri earlier this week, challenging the decisions of KU’s Unfair Means Committee (UMC) and Syndicate, which had annulled his degree in August last year.
During Friday’s hearing, KU’s registrar, the Sindh advocate general and other respondents appeared before the bench but sought more time to file their replies, saying they had received notices in the case only a day earlier.
Justice Iqbal Kalhoro, heading the bench, questioned the request: “We are ready to grant you time, but what if any action is taken against the petitioner during this period? If we adjourn today and action is taken tomorrow, who will take responsibility?”
He further asked whether KU had issued any notice to Justice Jahangiri before cancelling his degree, stressing that since the issue was being raised 30–35 years after the degree was awarded, the petitioner should have been formally notified.
“We are not saying that action cannot be taken, because the law allows it,” Justice Kalhoro observed. “But how can we put someone’s honour at stake? A person’s life-long career is at stake here.”
The court adjourned proceedings until October 24, directing the respondents to submit detailed replies.
The petition
In his plea, Justice Jahangiri termed the cancellation of his LLB degree “illegal and mala fide”, alleging that it was part of a campaign against his judicial independence. He claimed that after attempts to remove him through the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) failed, a “new strategy” was adopted by misusing official processes, including KU’s committees.
He maintained that the UMC’s move was “shocking and surprising”, as the committee revived an issue after 32 years without issuing him a notice or providing reasons, and that the cancellation later became the basis for the IHC’s order restraining him from judicial duties.
Fake degree controversy
The degree controversy began last year when a letter purportedly issued by KU’s examinations department surfaced on social media. It was reportedly in response to an application under the Sindh Transparency Right to Information Act, 2016, and raised questions about Justice Jahangiri’s 1991 LLB degree.
The letter stated that “Tariq Mehmood” obtained his LLB degree in 1991 under enrolment number 5968. However, another candidate, Imtiaz Ahmed, had enrolled in 1987 under the same number, while the transcript for LLB Part I was issued under the name “Tariq Jahangiri”. It further noted that Tariq Mehmood had also enrolled under a separate number, 7124.
Although the letter did not declare the degree “bogus”, it deemed it “invalid”, as the university assigns a single enrolment number for an entire degree programme — making two enrolments for the same student impossible.
On July 10, 2024, the IHC described the campaign against the judge as “scurrilous” and observed that it amounted to contempt of court by seeking to malign the judiciary.
Subsequently, a petition was filed in the IHC seeking to bar Justice Jahangiri from performing judicial duties until verification of his degree. Then-IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the plea, though the Supreme Court (SC) registrar’s office raised objections, noting that the petitioner was not an aggrieved party and that the matter was already pending before the SJC.
KU action and legal battle
On September 1, 2024, KU’s syndicate cancelled Justice Jahangiri’s degree and enrolment on the recommendation of its UMC. The decision coincided with the detention of academic and syndicate member Riaz Ahmed, who was allegedly picked up to prevent him from attending the meeting. He was released later that evening after the degree had already been annulled.
Four days later, on September 5, the SHC suspended KU’s decision after Justice Jahangiri challenged it, observing that the university had deprived him of the opportunity to defend himself. KU maintained, however, that the evidence against him was sufficient and a personal hearing unnecessary.
On September 16, the IHC barred Justice Jahangiri from performing judicial functions until the SJC adjudicated the matter. He challenged this in the Supreme Court, which on September 30 declared the IHC’s decision “null and void”.
Meanwhile, on September 25, an SHC bench dismissed a set of petitions — including one by Justice Jahangiri seeking to become a party to proceedings — for “non-prosecution”. This prompted protests by lawyers.
On Thursday, Justice Jahangiri also moved the Supreme Court against the SHC’s order dismissing his application.
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