The Islamabad High Court on Thursday de-notified Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri after ruling that he did not hold a valid law degree at the time of his appointment.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, along with Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, declared the appointment unlawful and ordered Justice Jahangiri to vacate office immediately. The court also directed the law ministry to complete the formal process of his removal.
The bench observed that possession of a valid LL.B. degree is a mandatory constitutional requirement under Article 175-A, which was not met in this case. All connected petitions were disposed of, while Justice Jahangiri had reportedly left the court shortly before the verdict.
The matter surfaced last year following the circulation of a letter attributed to the University of Karachi questioning his degree. A complaint was later filed before the Supreme Judicial Council.
Petitioner Advocate Mian Dawood stated that past judgments delivered by Justice Jahangiri would remain unaffected, as would any benefits already received, adding that any further action now rests with the government.
