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
