ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared that Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri was “not eligible” to be elevated as a judge of the high court and directed the Ministry of Law to de-notify him as a judge of the IHC. A two-member bench of the IHC comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan on Thursday heard a quo-warranto writ of a Lahore-based lawyer, Mian Dawood. Justice Jahangiri, instead of appearing in person, was represented by advocates Akram Sheikh and Salahuddin Ahmed. The short order, which the bench had earlier reserved, said, “We declare the elevation of Respondent No.1 (Justice Jahangiri) was without lawful authority, as he was not eligible to be elevated as a Judge of a High Court. Thus, he ceased to hold the office of the judge of Islamabad High Court, forthwith.” It directed the IHC office to transmit a copy of this order to the Law and Justice Division to de-notify him as judge of this Court and further to do the needful. The bench also disposed of all the pending miscellaneous applications. The IHC order further said, “We have given ample opportunity to Respondent No.1 to submit his reply along with disputed education credentials, but he failed to do so for the reasons best known to him. As such, this Court has left with no other option but to proceed further in the matter.” It noted that the qualification to hold the office of a judge of a High Court is personal to the individual and has no nexus with the performance of duties as a Court or as a member of the Court. “The qualifications for appointment of judges of the superior courts are duly provided in the Constitution, under which it is sine qua non for an individual to hold the office of a judge of a superior court,” it added. The order also said that at the time of appointment of Respondent No.1 as an Additional Judge of the Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, as well as at the time of his confirmation as a judge of the Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, he was not holding a valid LL.B. degree, which is a prerequisite for enrolment as an advocate. When he could not be considered as an advocate, then consequently he was not eligible for elevation as a judge of a High Court in terms of the requirements of Article 175-A of the 1973 Constitution. It maintained that the objections raised by the office are sustained for the reasons to be recorded in a detailed judgment. During the proceedings, Registrar Karachi University Imran Ahmed Siddiqui submitted Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree and regional record. He explicated that the Islamia Law College’s principal has said that Justice Jahangiri had not been their student. He said, “Justice Jahangiri was caught cheating; therefore, the university’s Unfair Means Committee (UFM) imposed a three-year ban on him for cheating and threatening the examiner.” However, he stated that the judge was eligible to reappear in the examinations in 1992. According to the university’s notification dated September 25, the university syndicate, in its meeting on August 31, 2024, approved “Resolution No 6” in compliance with the competent authority’s decision, upholding the recommendation of the Unfair Means Committee (UFM). The KU registrar further submitted that Justice Jahangiri used a fake enrolment form to bypass the ban and obtain the LLB degree. The judge appeared in the LLB Part I exam under the name “Tariq Jahangiri son of Muhammad Akram”, whereas in the LLB Part II exam, he appeared as “Tariq Mehmood son of Qazi Muhammad Akram”, he added. “Justice Jahangiri appeared in the LLB exam via a fake enrolment number,” remarked Siddiqui, further highlighting that the Islamia Law College has no record of the form provided by the judge for LLB Part II. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025