Ihc Rules Justice Tariq Jahangiri'S Appointment Illegal In Islamabad

On February 23, 2026, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a significant ruling declaring the appointment of Justice Tariq Jahangiri as a judge illegal due to his lack of a valid LL.B. degree, which is a prerequisite for judicial office in Pakistan. The court's detailed 116-page judgment, authored by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, emphasized that Jahangiri's foundational law degree was void ab initio, rendering his elevation to the high court a 'legal nullity.' The ruling relied on original academic records from the University of Karachi, which revealed that Jahangiri had used a fake enrolment number and had been debarred for three years due to misconduct. The court stated, 'what is void from the outset cannot be validated by subsequent administrative acts,' reinforcing the critical importance of transparency and accountability within the judiciary.