Islamabad High Court Removes Judge Over Invalid Law Degree Fraud

In a dramatic development, the Islamabad High Court has removed Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri after declaring that his law degree was invalid. The court ruled that his appointment to the bench was legally void because he did not possess a valid LLB qualification.

According to a detailed 116-page judgment, a division bench led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar concluded that Jahangiri’s LLB degree was “void ab initio,” meaning it was invalid from the very beginning. As a result, his elevation to the high court was declared a “legal nullity,” effectively removing him from office.

The bench relied on original academic records provided by the University of Karachi. The findings pointed to serious irregularities in Jahangiri’s academic history. Court documents stated that he first appeared in his LLB Part-I examination in 1988 using a fake enrolment number. He was reportedly caught using unfair means and debarred for three years in 1989.

Instead of serving the ban, the judgment noted that he allegedly reappeared in 1990 under a different identity using an enrolment number originally issued to another student. He later appeared for Part-II under his real name but with yet another enrolment number. University officials informed the court that it is impossible for a student to receive two enrolment numbers for the same programme.

Based on these findings, the court declared his mark sheets and degree invalid. It reiterated the legal principle that a qualification void from the outset cannot be validated later through subsequent actions.

Justice Jahangiri had previously been involved in high-profile cases. In 2023, he issued a protective order in favour of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, directing authorities to follow due legal process before any arrest. The order sparked political controversy, with critics accusing him of bias.

He had also written to the Supreme Judicial Council alleging interference by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, in judicial affairs. In that letter, he claimed that judges and their families were subjected to surveillance and pressure.

During the recent proceedings, the bench criticised Jahangiri’s legal strategy, describing certain requests — including demands for a full court and recusal of the chief justice — as attempts to delay the process. The judgment referred to these actions as “bench-hunting” and labelled them as mala fide conduct.

The petition challenging his degree was filed by lawyer Mian Dawood. Jahangiri has since challenged the ruling before the Federal Constitutional Court, arguing that the proceedings were biased and violated his right to a fair trial.

The case has raised serious questions about judicial appointments, verification of academic credentials, and institutional accountability within Pakistan’s legal system.