ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – A gold medallist from Islamabad’s International Islamic University has died after discovering that documents provided for her planned admission to Harvard University in the United States were fake.
Laiba, who completed her bachelor’s degree in physics with a gold medal, had hoped to pursue further studies abroad, prompting her family to make enormous financial sacrifices to support her ambitions. Her death has brought attention to an education fraud in which her family says a consultant demanded millions of rupees while promising to arrange her admission and scholarship.
Laiba’s body was found hanging from a tree near G-10 Sunday Market in Islamabad on Friday, within the jurisdiction of Ramna police station. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, while the post-mortem report is awaited to establish the cause of death.
According to the family, a consultant demanded Rs7 million to arrange Laiba’s admission to an American university. The documents he provided, including an admission letter and scholarship papers purportedly connected to Harvard University, were later checked and found to be fake.
The consultant also reportedly presented himself as Laiba’s sponsor and claimed to work as an accounts officer at the Islamabad High Court. In a separate arrangement, he promised to secure a government job for Laiba’s brother and took another Rs500,000 for the purpose, the family said.
The discovery of the forged documents shattered Laiba’s plans to continue her education in the United States. Her relatives said she suffered severe emotional distress after learning that the arrangements she had trusted were fraudulent.
Laiba’s father supported his children’s education by selling milk from a motorcycle, despite living with his family in a rented flat. To finance his daughter’s overseas education, he sold a plot of land and handed Rs2.1 million in cash to the consultant, according to the family.
Laiba’s mother also pledged her jewellery at a bank to help arrange the required funds. The family had hoped the investment would enable the young graduate to pursue higher studies and secure better opportunities for her future.
After discovering the fraud, Laiba sent a message to her maternal uncle asking him not to tell her father what had happened, fearing that the news would devastate him. Police have expanded their investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death and are examining the consultant’s dealings with the family. The Federal Investigation Agency has also taken notice of the case and contacted the family for further details.
Investigators are awaiting the post-mortem findings and examining the documents and financial transactions connected to the promised admission. The findings are expected to help clarify the circumstances of Laiba’s death and inform further action in the case.