ISLAMABAD, Dec 18, 2025: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday declared illegal the appointment of its own judge, Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, and ordered his immediate removal from office, ruling that he did not possess a valid law degree at the time of his appointment.
The verdict was delivered by a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Azam Khan, which held that Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree was invalid when he was appointed as a judge, rendering his elevation to the bench unlawful and void from the outset.
In its detailed written order, the court directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to immediately de-notify Justice Jahangiri as a sitting judge. The bench said that he was never eligible to hold judicial office due to the defective academic credentials, and therefore, his appointment was legally untenable.
The court ruled that all miscellaneous petitions connected with the case stood disposed of. Justice Jahangiri left the court premises shortly before the verdict was announced.
The defense maintained that the case did not involve a fake degree, but rather alleged irregularities in the issuance process by the University of Karachi. It was argued that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court, where proceedings related to the cancellation of the degree were already under suspension.
However, the IHC rejected these objections, concluding that the absence of a valid law degree at the time of appointment was sufficient to invalidate Justice Jahangiri’s elevation to the bench.