The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday held the appointment of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri null and void after declaring his law degree invalid, stating that he never lawfully qualified for elevation to the bench. As a consequence, the court termed his appointment a “legal nullity.”
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan issued a detailed 116-page judgment. The bench relied on original academic records presented by the University of Karachi (KU) registrar and came to the conclusion that Jahangiri’s LL.B. degree was void from the outset.
According to the ruling, Jahangiri first appeared in his 1988 LL.B. Part-I examination under a fake enrolment number. Afterwards, university authorities caught him using unfair means and debarred him for three years in 1989. However, instead of complying with the ban, he allegedly reappeared in 1990 under a different identity, using an enrolment number assigned to another student. He later sat for Part-II exams under his real name but with another enrolment number.
The KU Controller of Examinations informed the court that the university issues only one enrolment number per program. Therefore, the bench declared his mark sheets and degree invalid. Moreover, the principal of Government Islamia Law College confirmed that Jahangiri had never been admitted to the institution.
Court Rejects Recusal Plea and Appeal Arguments
Meanwhile, the bench criticized Jahangiri’s conduct during proceedings. Despite repeated opportunities, he failed to submit original documents and instead sought adjournments and the chief justice’s recusal. The court described these moves as dilatory tactics and bench-hunting.
Thus, the bench clarified that the Supreme Judicial Council cannot validate a void appointment. Jahangiri has challenged the maintainability of the case before the Federal Constitutional Court.
