The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday annulled Karachi University’s (KU) decision to cancel the law degree of Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.

In its written order, available with Business Recorder, the court ruled that the KU’s Syndicate and Unfair Means Committee revoked the degree without hearing the aggrieved party in clear “violation of Article 10-A of the Constitution” (the right to a fair trial).

“Unfortunately, no opportunity of hearing was extended to Mr Justice Tariq Mahmood Jehangiri and the manner so adopted appears to be highly objectionable, illegal… and without lawful authority,” the court ruled.

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The petition filed with the SHC argued that Justice Jahangiri was “singularly targeted, with extreme mala fide intention, according to a premeditated and conceived plan to tarnish the reputation and destroy the reputation of the Hon’ble Judge of the Islamabad High Court”.

It noted that Justice Jahangiri was among the six IHC judges who on March 25 wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) seeking guidance on the interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.

The controversy started in July when a letter from KU controller the KU controller of examinations regarding Justice Jahangiri’s law degree went viral on social media.

Soon after, the IHC took notice of the “smear campaign” against the judge and issued notices to several journalists and social media activists.

They had shared a letter and an annexure from the KU to an application seeking information under the Sindh Transparency Right to Information Act, 2016, about the degree.

The court had also issued notices to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The issue resurfaced when the Karachi University syndicate, on Saturday, on the recommendation of its Unfair Means (UFM) Committee, cancelled the degree and enrolment of a candidate, who was said to be Justice Jahangiri.

The decision came after hours-long detention of academic and syndicate member Dr Riaz Ahmed.

Ahmed alleged the move was an attempt to stop him from attending the syndicate’s key meeting where he said an IHC judge’s degree was to be discussed. Eluding from acknowledging the detention on Saturday, the police said a day later Ahmed was arrested over a 2017 case but let go after confusion was cleared.