SHC suspends KU's notification cancelling Justice Jahangiri's degree

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday suspended the University of Karachi’s notification that cancelled the law degree of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.

Hearing a plea filed by IHC's Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, SHC bench comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Mohammad Abdur Rahman, also restrained the varsity from taking any further actions based on the Syndicate and Fairmen's Committee recommendations against the judge.

The IHC judge approached the SHC, seeking to declare the University of Karachi's notification regarding the cancellation of his degree null and void.

During today’s hearing, University of Karachi Registrar Professor Imran Siddiqui appeared before the court and sought time to submit a reply.

"We received the notice the day before yesterday," Professor Siddiqui said while seeking more time to respond.

"How much time do you need to submit a reply?," Justice Kalhoro asked.

Barrister Salahuddin, representing Justice Jahangiri, requested the court to suspend KU’s notification until a response is submitted.

While accepting the KU registrar professor’s request for more time, the court adjourned the hearing.

The SHC’s latest decision came in a series of hearings pertaining to a controversy surrounding the LLB degree of Justice Jahangiri, who was barred by a division IHC bench from performing his judicial duties on September 16. The IHC bench led by Chief Justice (CJ) Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and comprising Justice Mohammad Azam Khan passed the directives on a petition filed by one Mian Dawood.

On September 20, Justice Jahangiri and four other judges of the IHC separately approached the apex court against the IHC order, restraining Justice Jahangiri from performing judicial work.

The other four judges of the IHC included Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Saman Rifat and Justice Ejaz Ishaq Khan.

Justice Kiyani prayed the SC to declare that the administrative powers cannot be deployed to undermine or trump the judicial powers of the judges of the high court.

Justice Kiyani requested the SC to declare that the chief justice of a high court is not authorised to constitute benches or transfer cases once a bench of the high court is seized of the matter.

On September 29, the apex court suspended the IHC order barring Justice Jahangiri from judicial work.

The apex court’s five-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan had also issued notices to relevant parties, including office of the attorney general of Pakistan.

Other members of the bench included Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan.

The case centres on a controversy regarding Justice Jahangiri's LLB degree, which was cancelled last month by the University of Karachi.

According to the university’s notification dated September 25, the university syndicate, in its meeting on August 31, 2024, approved "Resolution No 06" in compliance with the competent authority’s decision, upholding the recommendation of the Unfair Means Committee (UFM).

The notification stated, "Justice Jahangiri was found guilty of using unfair means and has been barred for three years from admission to any university or college, as well as from appearing in any university examination."

Furthermore, the University of Karachi clarified that Justice Jahangiri had never been enrolled as a student at Islamia Law College, Karachi, in 1989.