ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reconstituted the division bench hearing a writ petition that challenges the eligibility of Justice Tariq Meh­mo­­od Jahangiri, following a resh­uffling in the court’s duty roster.

According to the upd­a­ted roster, a division ben­ch comprising Chief Jus­ti­­ce Sardar Mohammad Sar­­­f­r­­az Dogar and Justice Kha­dim Hussain Soomro will now hear the petition filed by Advocate Mian Daw­o­­od, who has sought a writ of quo warranto questioning the legitimacy of Jus­ti­­ce Jahangiri’s LLB degree.

The matter was earlier taken up on Sept 16 by a bench consisting of Chief Justice Dogar and Justice Mohammad Azam Khan. On that occasion, the ben­ch passed an interim order restraining Justice Jahan­giri from performing his judicial functions.

The restraining order, issued without notice to the respondent, was later set aside by the apex court on Sept 29. A five-judge constitutional bench hea­ded by Justice Aminuddin Khan observed that no sitting judge could be barred from performing judicial duties through an interim order of a high court.

The SC’s order expressed the hope that, before proceeding on the merits of the case, the IHC would first address the objections raised by its own registrar’s office.

During the SC proceedings, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan acknowledged that the case presented a matter of first impression, as it sought the removal of a sitting high court judge through a quo warranto writ — a jurisdiction rarely invoked in such circumstances.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025