Sitting above his dairy shop in Islamabad's G-10 neighbourhood, Rana Muhammad Ijaz still remembers how his youngest daughter, Laiba, would make tea for him every morning and massage his shoulders before bed. According to Al Jazeera, that quiet routine ended forever when the 24-year-Oild physics graduate was found dead near her home on October 9.

Police initial findings indicate that Laiba likely died by suicide after she and her family were defrauded of millions of rupees—tens of thousands of dollars—by a man who falsely promised her admission to Harvard University in the United States, Al Jazeera reported.

Key Facts

According to Al Jazeera, the accused man, Muhammad Noman, was arrested two days after the incident. Police stated that Noman died on October 20 after being shot while in police custody when his accomplices allegedly opened fire to free him.

Al Jazeera reported that on October 21, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the family and handed over more than 5 million rupees ($18,000) that officials stated had been recovered from Noman. However, her father told the outlet that the returned money means little now that his daughter is gone.

Background

As reported by Al Jazeera, Laiba was a physics gold medallist from the publicly funded International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). Her father shared that despite limited family means—Ijaz studied until the eighth grade and his wife until grade 10—all four of their daughters attended university. Laiba had previously taught science at an Islamabad school and provided out-of-school tuition classes.

Although IIUI offered her a scholarship to study in Saudi Arabia, Laiba desired to pursue higher studies in the United States, according to her father. Al Jazeera noted that she met Noman earlier this year at a call centre where she worked in Islamabad, which ultimately led to the fateful and fraudulent promises of a Harvard admission.

Why It Matters

The case highlights the profound vulnerability of ambitious students and their families navigating higher education aspirations amidst fraudulent actors. It underscores the heavy emotional and financial tolls exacted by fake academic brokers preying on the hopes of hardworking Pakistani families.