President Zardari De-Notifies Justice Jahangiri After IHC Verdict

News Desk

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday approved the de-notification of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, acting on the advice of the prime minister, following a landmark verdict by the high court declaring his appointment unlawful.

The decision came after a two-member IHC bench, headed by Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and comprising Justice Azam Khan, ruled that Justice Jahangiri’s appointment did not meet the required legal standards. The bench directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to remove and formally de-notify the judge.

At the heart of the case is a long-running controversy surrounding Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree, which was cancelled by the University of Karachi (KU). According to a university notification dated September 25, the KU syndicate, in its meeting held on August 31, 2024, upheld the findings of its Unfair Means Committee (UFM), leading to the cancellation of the degree.

Justice Jahangiri did not appear before the court during the hearing. He was represented by senior lawyers Akram Sheikh and Barrister Salahuddin, who raised objections to the proceedings and questioned the composition of the bench.

Barrister Salahuddin argued that multiple petitions relating to Justice Jahangiri were pending and should have been taken up first. He also sought an indefinite adjournment and requested 30 days to submit replies. Advocate Akram Sheikh alleged violations of due process and claimed that bias in the case was “evident,” asserting that the matter was driven by prejudice rather than law.

Sheikh further told the court 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.”

On the other hand, Advocate Mian Dawood, representing petitioners, maintained that Justice Jahangiri had previously appeared before the bench and raised objections. He said the judge had first sought a single-bench hearing and later requested a full court, while also seeking the exclusion of the chief justice and other transferred judges.

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Dawood alleged that Justice Jahangiri had taken a false oath and submitted bogus academic documents. He argued that the Supreme Court, in writs of quo warranto, has the authority to scrutinize every document related to a public office holder’s eligibility.

Karachi University Registrar Imran Siddiqui appeared before the court and submitted original academic records. He confirmed that the university had finally cancelled Justice Jahangiri’s degree, stating that it was not a case of a fake degree but one obtained through procedural violations.

According to the registrar, Justice Jahangiri had been banned for three years by the UFM for cheating and threatening an examiner, making him eligible to reappear in exams only after the ban period. However, he allegedly used a fake enrolment form to bypass the ban and obtain the degree.

Siddiqui told the court that Justice Jahangiri appeared in different LLB examinations under varying names and enrolment details, and that Islamia Law College had no record of him as a student. These discrepancies, he said, led the KU syndicate to cancel the degree.

Justice Jahangiri’s counsel countered that a petition challenging the cancellation was pending before the Sindh High Court (SHC), which had suspended the university’s notification. Islamabad Bar Council lawyer Raja Aleem Abbasi also informed the court that the SHC stay remained in effect.

Despite these arguments, the IHC ruled that Justice Jahangiri’s appointment was unlawful, paving the way for his de-notification—now formally approved by the president. Input from Geo News website.