SHC suspends KU's decision to revoke IHC's judge's degree

Sindh High Court raised concerns over the transparency of Karachi University’s actions and halted further moves.

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The Sindh High Court has suspended a decision to cancel the degree of Islamabad High Court Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, preventing any further action by Karachi University on the matter.

The court, consisting of Justices Salahuddin Panhwar and Amjad Ali Sathio, questioned the transparency of the university’s process and its authority to revoke the degree.

The case centres on the recommendations made by Karachi University’s (KU) Unfair Means Committee and the subsequent endorsement by its syndicate to invalidate Justice Jahangiri’s law degree, which is over 30 years old.

Justice Panhwar raised concerns over the fairness of the proceedings, noting that the university had yet to clarify how many similar cases had been handled.

The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the decision by the syndicate was carried out in a non-transparent manner.

The counsel also pointed out that the matter had been initiated following a letter from Islamia Law College, further questioning the university's jurisdiction in such cases.

Justice Panhwar inquired about the nature of the complaint and whether any legal procedures were followed, remarking, “Who initiated this and under what authority?”

Justice Amjad Ali Sathio noted that the case did not only concern academic issues, pointing out that the judicial commission should have been involved in reviewing the allegations.

He further criticised the university for not issuing a proper notice to the affected individual.

The court criticised KU for failing to notify Justice Jahangiri before attempting to revoke his degree.

"If you're going to cancel someone's degree, shouldn't they be informed first?" asked Justice Sathio.

As a result, the court has not only suspended the recommendations and decisions made by the Unfair Means Committee and the syndicate, but has also restrained KU from taking any further action regarding the case.

Notices were issued to the Deputy Attorney General, Advocate General Sindh, and other relevant parties, requiring them to submit detailed responses within three weeks.

A few days ago, the Karachi University Society (KUTS) observed a black day in solidarity with Dr. Riaz Ahmed, an associate professor and syndicate member at the University of Karachi (KU), who was illegally detained by police.

Dr. Riaz raised concerns about the Unfair Means Committee's legitimacy, arguing that it had insufficient evidence to label Justice Tariq's degree as fraudulent.

He contended that the Syndicate should have the final say but noted that it could not make a decision without a properly constituted committee, a duty that falls to the vice-chancellor.