Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri has formally approached the Supreme Court (SC), seeking an early hearing of his petition challenging the restraining order issued against him on September 16.
The order, passed by a divisional IHC bench, barred him from performing judicial functions over questions raised about the validity of his Karachi University (KU) law degree.
The controversy began last year when a letter allegedly from KU’s controller of examinations surfaced on social media, casting doubt on Justice Jahangiri’s law degree. Subsequently, a complaint was filed with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in July 2023, followed by a petition challenging his appointment in the IHC earlier this year.
On September 16, a two-member IHC bench, headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar and comprising Justice Mohammad Azam Khan, restrained Justice Jahangiri from exercising his judicial powers.
The order came while hearing a petition filed by lawyer Mian Dawood under Article 199 of the Constitution. Justice Jahangiri challenged this decision in the Supreme Court last week, arguing that the restraining order was unconstitutional and violated judicial independence.
Through Advocate Syed Rifaqat Hussain Shah, the judge has now filed an application urging the SC to fix his petition for hearing this week.
The application stressed that barring a high court judge from judicial work undermines the principle of independence of the judiciary and sets a dangerous precedent by allowing complaints or petitions to block judges from performing their constitutional duties.
Justice Jahangiri contended that the order was passed without hearing his stance and warned that time lost due to such restrictions cannot be regained, given the age limit for serving judges. He urged urgent SC intervention to restore him to his judicial role.
This case comes amid broader turmoil within the IHC, where five judges, including Justice Jahangiri, recently petitioned the SC over issues ranging from bench composition to case transfers.
