The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed two objections by Justice Tariq Jahangiri in the degree case on Tuesday.
A four-page order by a division bench led by Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar rejected Justice Jahangiri’s objection about forming a two-member bench instead of a single-judge bench.
The IHC stated serious charges were made against a judge about degree authenticity. Given the matter’s sensitivity, forming a two-member bench was within the Chief Justice’s administrative powers, the order said.
The court noted that forming a special bench isn’t new, and Justice Jahangiri’s claim of bias against the Chief Justice has no legal basis. Appeals by Justice Jahangiri and other judges about the Chief Justice’s transfers were previously dismissed by the Federal Shariat Court.
The order also noted that principles for recusal or disqualification of judges based on bias are well-defined in rulings from 1966 to 2023. Justice Jahangiri didn’t provide any valid legal reason to challenge the Chief Justice.
Additionally, the two-member bench instructed that Justice Jahangiri be given the full case record and a copy of the university’s previous response. However, the court turned down the request to include the Islamabad District Bar Association as a party in the case proceedings.