UoK Cancels LLB Degree of Justice Tariq Jahangiri

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The University of Karachi (UoK) Syndicate on Saturday cancelled the degree and enrolment of a candidate, reportedly a sitting judge of the Islamabad High Court, following the recommendations of its Unfair Means (UFM) Committee. The decision was made amidst significant controversy, including the brief detention of a key academic and syndicate member, Dr Riaz Ahmed.

Dr Riaz, an associate professor at UoK’s Department of Applied Chemistry, was detained by the police on his way to the syndicate meeting. His detention, which many believe was an attempt to prevent his participation in the meeting, sparked outrage among academic circles and human rights activists. He was released after eight hours, only after the syndicate had already moved forward with its decision to cancel the degree.

In a video statement after his release, Dr. Riaz claimed that the degree in question belonged to Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri of the Islamabad High Court. However, this claim has not been independently verified, and UoK officials, including Vice Chancellor Dr. Khalid Iraqi, were unavailable for comment.

The controversy surrounding Justice Jahangiri’s degree emerged over two months ago when a letter allegedly from KU’s controller of examinations began circulating on social media. The letter, purportedly issued in response to a request for information under the Sindh Transparency Right to Information Act, 2016, revealed discrepancies in the enrolment numbers associated with Justice Jahangiri’s law degree.

According to the letter, the candidate, Tariq Mehmood, obtained his LLB degree in 1991 under enrolment number 5968. However, records showed that another student, Imtiaz Ahmed, had enrolled in 1987 under the same number, while the transcript for LLB Part I was issued under the name Tariq Jahangiri. The letter did not declare the degree fraudulent but deemed it invalid due to the conflicting enrolment numbers, an issue that violates the university’s regulations.

Justice Jahangiri, who is among the judges who had previously lodged a complaint with the Supreme Judicial Council against the Chief Justice, has been a prominent figure in raising concerns about alleged interference in judicial matters by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). His involvement in these high-profile disputes adds another layer of complexity to the current controversy.

Dr. Riaz, who had previously objected to the agenda item concerning the judge’s degree, was reportedly taken from Tipu Sultan Road around 1 p.m. on Saturday. He was first detained at Jamshed Quarters police station, then moved to Bahadurabad police station, and finally to the Brigade police station before his release. His wife, Sophia, who met him during his detention, was informed that he would be released shortly, but this promise was initially not fulfilled.

Karachi University has yet to provide further details on the cancellation of the degree, and the press release issued by the university remained vague, stating only that the UFM Committee had proposed the cancellation of degrees and enrolment cards of candidates involved in “unethical and immoral acts.” The press release did not name any specific candidates, leaving many questions unanswered as the situation continues to unfold.