The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday disqualified Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri for holding a fraudulent law degree. The court ruled that his appointment as a judge in December 2020 was illegal. The bench directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to immediately de-notify him from office.
A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Azam Khan, relied on Karachi University records exposing systemic fraud. The registrar revealed that Jahangiri altered his name and father’s name during enrollment and passed subjects before his actual eligibility. The principal of Government Islamia College confirmed no record of him ever existing there.
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Karachi University testified that Jahangiri had committed exam malpractice, received a three-year ban, and still appeared as a graduate in 1990. The university officially cancelled his enrollment and degree in August 2024 after a leaked letter revealed the enrollment number belonged to another student.
The controversy emerged in July 2024 and prompted petitions alleging perjury and false oaths regarding credentials. Justice Jahangiri’s counsel sought a stay based on pending Sindh High Court proceedings and Article 10A rights. The IHC rejected this and acted on verified evidence to disqualify him.
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Justice Jahangiri had earlier joined five other IHC judges in a March 2023 letter alleging interference in judicial matters by intelligence agencies. His disqualification marks a major development in Pakistan’s judicial accountability efforts.