Sindh High Court Upholds Suspension of Justice Jahangiri’s Degree Cancellation, Hearing to Resume After Holidays

**Islamabad (Qudrat Daily):** The Sindh High Court has extended its interim order, keeping Karachi University’s decision to cancel former Islamabad High Court judge Justice (R) Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri’s law degree on hold. The order will remain in effect until the next hearing, which will be scheduled after the court’s winter holidays.

Justice Jahangiri has been embroiled in a fake degree controversy since last year, facing legal proceedings in both the Sindh and Islamabad High Courts. On December 18, a division bench of the Islamabad High Court, led by Chief Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, had ruled that Jahangiri’s degree was invalid and that his appointment as a judge was made without proper legal authority. However, the Sindh High Court today maintained the suspension of the August 2024 Karachi University decision.

The two-member bench, comprising Justices Yousuf Ali Saeed and Abdul Mubeen Lakho, was hearing a contempt of court petition against Karachi University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Khalid Mahmood Iraqi and Registrar Imran Ahmed Siddiqui. During the hearing, both the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar appeared in court and submitted their affidavits.

The Registrar argued that since the Islamabad High Court had already issued a final ruling on the matter, the contempt petition had become ineffective and should be dismissed. He further stated that despite the Sindh High Court’s October 3 order, Karachi University had not taken any practical action regarding Jahangiri’s degree cancellation. The Registrar also noted that the Islamabad High Court had requested records from Karachi University through the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and the Vice-Chancellor assured the court that the records were submitted without any alterations.

Justice Jahangiri’s counsel, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, was instructed to review and respond to the submissions from both sides. Speaking to the media outside the court, Barrister Ahmed emphasized the urgency of the case, noting that the bench observed it was the last working day for the court and that the hearing would continue after the winter recess.

Barrister Ahmed further stated that the Islamabad High Court’s decision referenced a Sindh High Court order that allegedly prevented Karachi University from taking further action, whereas in reality, the degree cancellation order had been suspended. He added that legally, the cancellation remains suspended, and the Islamabad High Court’s ruling was based on a non-existent order. According to him, a judge was removed from office on the basis of an order that was and still is suspended.