Islamabad High Court to Hear Contempt Plea Against Malicious Campaign on Justice Jahangiri’s Law Degree
A full bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is set to hear a contempt plea on September 19 concerning a “malicious campaign” against Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri related to his law degree. This development follows a controversy over Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree that first arose in July and recently intensified after the Karachi University (KU) syndicate allegedly canceled the degree.
The IHC full bench, excluding Justice Jahangiri, is headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and includes Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Babar Sattar, Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.
The issue gained traction over two months ago when a letter purportedly from KU’s controller of examinations, questioning Justice Jahangiri’s degree, began circulating on social media. This was followed by a reference against the judge filed with the Supreme Judicial Council.
On July 8, the IHC intervened, issuing notices to journalists Hassan Ayub Khan and Gharida Farooqui, as well as social media activist Ammar Solangi, who had shared the controversial letter and related documents. The court also directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the individuals behind the campaign and submit their responses within four weeks.
The hearing had been postponed for summer vacations. Recently, KU’s syndicate, based on the recommendation of its Unfair Means (UFM) Committee, canceled the degree and enrollment of a candidate identified as Justice Jahangiri. This decision followed the detention of academic and syndicate member Dr. Riaz Ahmed for several hours.
