Karachi University’s degree cancellation of Jehangiri 'put on hold' | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- The Sindh High Court suspended the University of Karachi's cancellation of IHC Judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri's LLB degree.
- The SHC bench strongly criticized the university for taking action without providing due notice or hearing the affected judge, calling ex-parte judgments weak.
- KU had cancelled the degree, labeling it 'fictitious' based on findings of non-enrollment and malpractice from the 1980s.
- Judge Jahangiri alleges the cancellation is illegal, politically motivated, and a violation of natural justice, citing his judicial independence efforts.
- The next hearing date is set for October 24, and the SHC has restrained KU from taking further action based on the cancellation.
The Sindh High Court (SHC), led by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, suspended the University of Karachi's (KU) decision to cancel the law degree of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri. The court questioned the lack of due process, asking the KU Registrar why action was taken without hearing the affected party, stressing that judicial decisions made without hearing both sides carry little weight. KU had declared the degree 'fictitious' based on an Unfair Means Committee finding that Jahangiri was never enrolled and engaged in malpractice decades ago, a finding that was subsequently endorsed by the Syndicate. Judge Jahangiri maintains the cancellation is illegal, mala fide, and politically motivated, linking it to his judicial independence and recent rulings that upset the ruling party. This SHC order follows previous actions, including an IHC order restraining Jahangiri from judicial work and subsequent petitions filed by him in the Supreme Court challenging that restraint. The SHC bench suspended KU's notification and scheduled the next hearing for October 24, while also noting displeasure over the petitioner's counsel staging a walkout during the proceedings.
