Contempt Case Over Alleged Campaign Against IHC Judge Returns to Court

A full bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is set to hear a contempt plea regarding a “malicious campaign” against Judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri concerning his law degree. This hearing is scheduled for September 19. The issue surrounding Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree first surfaced in July, and it recently gained attention again as the Karachi University (KU) syndicate reportedly revoked his degree.

The full bench handling the case consists of all IHC judges, except Justice Jahangiri. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq leads the bench, which includes Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Babar Sattar, Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz. This issue began over two months ago when a letter allegedly from KU’s controller of examinations, casting doubt on Justice Jahangiri’s law degree, started circulating on social media. Subsequently, a reference against the judge was filed in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

Contempt Case Over Alleged Campaign Against IHC Judge Returns to Court

On July 8, the IHC took steps to counter this campaign, with the full bench issuing notices to journalists Hassan Ayub Khan and Gharida Farooqui, as well as social media activist Ammar Solangi. These individuals had shared a letter and an annexure from KU in response to a request for information under the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act of 2016, which related to Justice Jahangiri’s degree.

Additionally, the IHC issued notices to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). These notices were intended to help identify those involved in the alleged malicious campaign, and the authorities were instructed to submit their findings within four weeks. The case was adjourned until after the summer vacation.

Further complicating matters, KU’s syndicate recently annulled the degree and enrollment of an individual identified as Justice Jahangiri, following the recommendation of its Unfair Means (UFM) Committee. This decision came amidst reports of Dr. Riaz Ahmed, a KU academic and syndicate member, being detained for several hours. Dr. Ahmed claimed his detention was an attempt to prevent him from attending the syndicate’s meeting, where Justice Jahangiri’s degree was to be discussed. Police later clarified that Dr Ahmed’s detention was related to a 2017 case and released him after the confusion was resolved.

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The controversy is also tied to a letter from KU. The letter outlined inconsistencies in the enrolment details associated with Justice Jahangiri’s degree. According to the letter, the enrolment number linked to Tariq Mehmood’s LLB degree in 1991 was also assigned to another individual, Imtiaz Ahmed, in 1987. This discrepancy, along with two different enrolment numbers being associated with Tariq Jahangiri, raised questions about the degree’s validity.

Justice Jahangiri is among six IHC judges who had previously raised concerns with the SJC about alleged interference by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in judicial matters. The complaints included claims of spy cameras being found in a judge’s chambers. This matter was reportedly brought to the attention of the chief justice but remained unaddressed.