Pakistan High Court Ousts Judge Over Fraudulent Degree

In a scandal that has sent shockwaves through the Commonwealth’s legal fraternity, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has delivered a scathing 116-page judgement disqualifying one of its own. Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, who sat on the bench for over five years and presided over countless legal rulings, has been stripped of his position after it was revealed that his entire professional foundation was built upon a web of academic forgery.

A Career Founded on Deception

The court's historic ruling on Monday declared Jahangiri’s appointment "void ab initio"—legal Latin meaning "invalid from the beginning." Investigations conducted by the Registrar of the University of Karachi unearthed a staggering history of educational malpractice. According to official records, Jahangiri’s attempt at a legal career began with a fraud as early as 1988.

During his initial examinations, he was caught using a fake enrolment number and subsequently banned from the university for three years for cheating. Rather than serving his suspension, Jahangiri allegedly doubled down on the deception. The following year, he misappropriated the enrolment details of another student named "Imtiaz Ahmed" to sit for exams under his own name, effectively "stealing" an identity to bypass his academic ban.

Failed Defences and Judicial Evasion

The Principal of the Government Islamia Law College testified before the court, confirming that Jahangiri had never been a registered student at the institution. Despite being granted multiple opportunities to produce his original transcripts and certificates, the disgraced judge failed to provide a single shred of authentic evidence.

Instead of clearing his name, Jahangiri reportedly employed a series of "procedural stratagems" to obstruct the investigation. These included demanding a full-court bench, calling for the resignation of the Chief Justice, and seeking indefinite adjournments under the pretext of related cases pending in the Sindh High Court.

Timeline of a Judicial Scandal

Implications for the Judiciary

The IHC ruled that because the petitioner presented "incontrovertible evidence" of forgery, the burden of proof shifted entirely to Jahangiri to prove his qualifications—a task he proved unable to perform. The bench concluded that he was a "rank imposter" who was legally unfit to hold any judicial office.

This unprecedented case raises significant questions regarding the vetting process for high-ranking judicial appointments in Pakistan. For five years, a man with no valid legal training interpreted the laws of the land, leaving the validity of his past judgements in a state of potential legal limbo.