IHC full bench to resume hearing contempt plea over ‘malicious campaign’ against judge on Sept 19

A full bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear a contempt plea over a “malicious campaign” against Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri regarding his law degree on September 19.

The development comes after a controversy over Justice Jahangiri’s LLB degree, which first emerged in July, but resurfaced last week as the Karachi University’s syndicate reportedly cancelled his degree.

The full bench comprises all the IHC judges, except Justice Jahangiri himself. Headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, the bench also includes Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Babar Sattar, Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

Over two months ago, a letter began circulating on social media, purportedly from the KU’s controller of examinations, regarding Justice Jahangiri’s law degree. A reference against the judge had also been filed in the Supreme Judicial Council.

On July 8, the IHC stepped in to counter the drive against the judge, with its full bench issuing notices to journalists Hassan Ayub Khan and Gharida Farooqui, as well as social media activist Ammar Solangi.

The three individuals had shared a letter and an annexure from the KU to an application seeking information under the Sindh Transparency Right to Information Act 2016 about the degree.

The IHC had also issued notices to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The court had directed them to identify the individuals involved in the malicious campaign and submit their responses within four weeks. The hearing had been adjourned till the end of summer vacations.

On Saturday, KU’s syndicate, on the recommendation of its Unfair Means (UFM) Committee, cancelled the degree and enrolment of a candidate, who was said to be Justice Jahangiri.

The decision came after hours-long detention of academic and syndicate member Dr Riaz Ahmed.

Ahmed alleged the move was an attempt to stop him from attending the syndicate’s key meeting where he said an IHC judge’s degree was to be discussed. Eluding from acknowledging the detention on Saturday, the police said a day later Ahmed was arrested over a 2017 case but let go after confusion was cleared.

The letter from KU stated that candidate Tariq Mehmood obtained his LLB degree in 1991 under enrolment number 5968.

However, Imtiaz Ahmed enrolled in 1987 under the same enrolment number, while the transcript for LLB Part I was issued under the name of Tariq Jahangiri.

Moreover, Tariq Mehmood enrolled for LLB Part I under enrolment number 7124. The letter did not declare the degree bogus but termed it invalid, explaining that the university issues one enrolment number for the entire degree programme, making it impossible for a student to have two enrolment numbers for one programme.

Justice Jahangiri is among the six IHC judges who previously complained to the SJC about their chief justice and accused the Inter-Services Intelligence of interfering in judicial affairs. The complaint included allegations of spy cameras being detected at the entrance and in the bedroom of a judge, a matter that was reportedly conveyed to the chief justice but to no avail.