- KU Syndicate upholds Unfair Means Committee decision in Aug 31 meeting, cancelling judge’s enrolment no. AIL-7124/87 and seat no. 22857
- Varsity clarifies IHC judge was never a student of Islamia Law College in 1989
KARACHI: The University of Karachi has cancelled the LLB degree of Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge, according to a notification issued by the varsity on Friday.
The notification stated that in compliance with the approval of the competent authority, the university syndicate, in its meeting on August 31, 2024, endorsed Resolution No. 06 and upheld the recommendation of the Unfair Means Committee (UFM).
“In pursuance of the Syndicate meeting held on 31.08.2024, his LLB enrolment number AIL-7124/87 and seat number 22857 are hereby withdrawn and cancelled,” the notification read. It added that Justice Jahangiri had been found guilty of using unfair means and was also barred for three years from seeking admission to any university or college, as well as from appearing in any university examination.
The University further clarified that the IHC judge had never been a student of Islamia Law College, Karachi, in 1989, as was earlier claimed.
The latest notification follows earlier legal proceedings where the Sindh High Court (SHC) had suspended the KU Syndicate’s declaration and the UFM committee’s recommendation regarding the invalidity of the judge’s degree.
Justice Jahangiri had challenged the UFM committee’s August 17, 2024 decision, arguing that the degree cancellation was not in line with university regulations. His counsel contended that under the relevant university clauses, punishments under Regulation 14 could only be imposed by the Syndicate upon the recommendation of the UFM Committee. The committee, he said, could hold an inquiry or authorise one or more of its members to do so, but in Jahangiri’s case, no proper inquiry or hearing had been conducted.
The counsel further argued that as per rules, examination results of such candidates are to be withheld until their cases are decided by the Syndicate. He maintained that the committee’s decision neither reflected whether Justice Jahangiri was heard, nor whether any record was sought from Islamia Law College, yet the judge’s degree was cancelled in a “summary manner.”
The petitioners alleged that the decision was influenced by a letter written by six IHC judges and was intended to malign Justice Jahangiri, despite the matter being sub judice before the Supreme Court.
The controversy surrounding the IHC judge’s academic qualifications thus remains legally and politically sensitive, with the KU decision expected to fuel further debate as the case continues in higher courts.
