A 20-year-old Pakistani student, Laiba Ijaz, died by suicide on October 9 after allegedly being defrauded of millions of rupees by an agent who promised to secure her admission to Harvard University, a scholarship and a US visa. An Islamabad court on Monday granted police five days of physical remand of the main accused, Muhammad Noman, in connection with the case, Voice PK reported.Judicial magistrate Zunaira Zafar passed the order after police produced Noman in court with his face covered. Police had sought 10 days of remand to investigate his alleged role, verify evidence and examine witness statements.Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has also sought a detailed inquiry into Laiba’s death and the alleged fraud. According to police reporting, the committee will meet on October 15. Islamabad’s inspector general of police, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general and the Higher Education Commission chairman have been directed to attend.The committee has sought details of the case registration, the suspect’s arrest and the investigation so far. It has also asked authorities to report on steps taken to cancel the licence of the educational consultant accused of issuing fake documents.
Family alleges loss of Pakistani Rs 9.3 million
According to local reports, Laiba was found hanging from a tree in Islamabad’s Sector G-10 on Friday, October 9. Police said she had paid an agent Rs 5 million to arrange her travel to the United States but was later given fake documents.Laiba had left home around 2pm, telling her mother she would return shortly. When she failed to come back, her family searched for her and tracked her location using her mobile phone. They found her body and informed the police, who took it to a hospital.The Media Line reported that Laiba was a physics gold medallist and scholarship holder who aspired to become a scientist and study at Harvard. Her family allegedly lost Rs 9.3 million, approximately $34,000, to those promising her admission, a scholarship and a US visa.Her father had sold milk and yoghurt on Islamabad’s streets since 1994 to support his family’s education. To finance Laiba’s studies abroad, he reportedly sold land intended for the family’s home, while her mother pawned her jewellery. Laiba had also declined a scholarship in Saudi Arabia because she wanted to pursue her ambitions in the United States.Shortly before her death, Laiba called her brother-in-law and said, “Don’t tell my father about the fraud committed against me; otherwise, he will die.”Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the case.
What FIR alleges
According to the police FIR, Laiba’s father said the family had met Noman around six to seven months before her death. Noman allegedly introduced himself as a senior official in Islamabad and offered to arrange a US study visa for Laiba for Rs 9.3 million.The father alleged that he paid Rs 2.1 million in cash to Noman at G-10 Markaz in the presence of witnesses. Laiba transferred another Rs 2.9 million through her mobile and bank accounts, according to the complaint.Noman allegedly supplied documents that later turned out to be fake. He also reportedly presented a forged receipt showing a transfer of $20,000 into Laiba’s bank account to help prepare a bank statement. The father said Noman stopped answering his calls after the family questioned him about the documents.The father also accused a woman identified as Fatima Sarwar, alias Aiza, of involvement in the alleged fraud. She reportedly contacted Laiba and demanded more money. He said Laiba had been in severe distress for five to six days before her death and blamed Noman and Aiza for her suffering.A separate complaint lodged by Laiba’s uncle, Amjad Rehman, with the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle named Noman and Aiza as accused in an alleged conspiracy to defraud the family of Rs 9.3 million. The complaint alleged that Rs 2.9 million was transferred to Noman’s bank account, while the remaining amount was paid in cash at a shop in Gulistan Plaza, G-10 Markaz.Senior lawyer Raja Naveed Kiyani said police and the FIA could register separate FIRs over the same incident. He explained that the FIA could pursue its own investigation and seek Noman’s custody through the court after he was transferred from police custody to judicial remand.The allegations against Noman and Aiza are yet to be established in court. The case has also highlighted concerns over fraudulent educational consultants who target Pakistani students seeking admission and scholarships abroad.