SHC extends stay order in ex-judge degree case

New bench to take up case after winter break

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has extended its October 3 stay order suspending the decision of the University of Karachi (KU) to cancel the law degree of Islamabad High Court (IHC) former judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.

Interestingly, a division bench of the IHC on December 18 while hearing a quo warranto petition accusing Jahangiri of holding an invalid LLB degree removed him from his position.

A two-member constitutional bench of the SHC, comprising Yousuf Ali Sayeed and Justice Abdul Mobeen Lakho extended the stay order on Monday as it heard a contempt plea filed by Jahangiri against the KU Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr Khalid Mehmood Iraqi and Registrar Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.

During the hearing, Iraqi and Siddiqui appeared before the court and submitted affidavits.

The KU registrar argued that "now that the IHC has issued the final verdict, the contempt of court plea should be dismissed as it has become ineffective".

He told the court that KU had not taken any action in compliance with SHC's October 3 order to suspend the cancellation of Jahangiri's law degree.

On August 31, 2024, the KU's Syndicate annulled the allegedly "invalid" degree of Jahangiri on the recommendations of the university's Unfair Means (UFM) Committee.

The SHC on September 5, 2024 suspended the university's decision.

However, the university's registrar on September 25, 2025 announced cancelling Jahangiri's LLB degree in compliance with the syndicate meeting of August 31, 2024.

Jahangiri approached the SHC once again against the order which on October 3, 2025 suspended the KU decision to cancel his degree.

During the Monday hearing, the KU vice chancellor told the SHC bench that the IHC sought KU's records via the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

He said the degree records were presented in the IHC without any "alteration".

The court directed Jahangiri's counsel Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed to receive replies submitted by the parties.

Barrister Ahmed argued that the case "should be heard soon", highlighting the "urgency" of the matter. Justice Saeed observed: "Today is the last day of this bench; the bench will hear the case as per the roster after the winter vacations."

Following this observation, the bench extended its interim order till the next hearing.

Speaking to the media at the court, Jahangiri's lawyer said they filed a contempt application against the KU as it concealed from the IHC the SHC order that suspended the varsity's proceedings in the case, as well as its decision to cancel Jahangiri's law degree.

He contended that IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar observed in his ruling on December 18 that the SHC had barred the KU from taking any further action but it was not the case.

"The KU was not just stopped from further action, but its cancellation order had been suspended".

He said legally, the order remains suspended to date.