De-notification of IHC judge Tariq Jahangiri approved by President
President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the de-notification of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri following his disqualification in a fake degree case, sources confirmed on Friday.
The decision was taken on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the Islamabad High Court ruled that Justice TariqJahangiri’s appointment as a judge was illegal due to the invalidity of his academic credentials.
According to official sources, the president formally accepted the summary sent by the prime minister, resulting in the removal of Tariq Jahangiri from his post as an IHC judge.
A day earlier, a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court had issued a notification vacating Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri’s office, declaring that he did not fulfil the mandatory qualifications required to hold the position of a high court judge.
The case revolved around the authenticity of his LLB degree, which was reportedly obtained from Karachi University. During proceedings, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) submitted a detailed report to the court, stating that the degree had been acquired through unfair means.
The HEC further clarified that it had never verified Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri’s law degree and that the judge had not approached the commission for verification at any stage.
Based on the findings, the Islamabad High Court concluded that Justice Jahangiri was not eligible to hold judicial office, leading to his disqualification and subsequent removal.
The development has triggered discussions within legal and judicial circles regarding scrutiny of judges’ academic credentials and the need for stricter verification mechanisms to uphold the credibility of the judiciary.
