Islamabad: A startling case has emerged in Pakistan, where a judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was found to have delivered rulings based on a fake law degree. The IHC issued a detailed 116-page judgment, removing Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri from his position. The court declared that Jahangiri’s law degree was invalid from the beginning, making his appointment as a judge legally void.
Completely Fake Credentials
According to a report by the Dawn newspaper, the Islamabad High Court obtained authentic records from the Registrar of Karachi University, which revealed that Jahangiri’s educational documents were entirely fabricated. The court noted that in 1988, Jahangiri had appeared for an exam using a fake enrollment number, and he was caught cheating. He faced strict disciplinary action and was barred from taking exams for three years. However, Jahangiri did not accept the punishment and later attempted to circumvent the rules. The following year, he sat for the exam again, using another student’s enrollment number.
Never Enrolled in Law College
The Principal of the government-run Islamia Law College informed the court that Jahangiri had never been admitted to their institution. The court stated that Jahangiri was asked to present his genuine documents and written responses but failed to do so. Jahangiri also requested a full bench hearing and sought to have the Chief Justice recused from the case.
Delaying Tactics Rejected
In addition, he attempted to delay the proceedings. The court described these moves as a strategy to prolong the case. It emphasized that once the petitioner had submitted evidence, the judge was required to prove the authenticity of his degree. Since Jahangiri failed to do so, the court ruled against him and terminated his judgeship.