ISLAMABAD: A heartbreaking account of financial fraud and systemic exploitation has emerged following the tragic death of Laiba Ijaz, a 22-year-old gold medallist from the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), whose body was discovered hanging from a tree near the Ramna police station area in the federal capital.
According to family members, Laiba had recently completed her Bachelor of Science degree with top academic honors and aspired to pursue higher education in the United States. In her pursuit, the family engaged an education consultant who demanded PKR 7 million to secure her admission to an American university.
Determined to support his daughter’s academic ambitions, Laiba’s father—a milk vendor who transports goods by motorcycle—sold a land plot to raise funds. Living in a rented apartment, the family handed over PKR 2.1 million in cash to the consultant.
To arrange the remaining amount, the family pledged the mother’s jewelry with a bank. However, when Laiba personally verified her university admission documents, she discovered that the consultant had issued completely fake documentation.
Final Communication
Overwhelmed by the severe financial loss inflicted on her struggling family, Laiba sent a final text message to her maternal uncle pleading with him to conceal the scam from her father, expressing fear that the shock would prove fatal for him.
Authorities subsequently recovered her body near Ramna police station. Preliminary police investigations suggest the incident was a suicide resulting from severe psychological distress caused by the fraudulent scheme.
Law enforcement officials have launched an investigation into the matter to apprehend the individuals involved in the fraudulent consultancy operation.
Police Investigate Student’s Death
Laiba’s body was found in a green belt near Itwar Bazaar in Islamabad’s G-10 area on October 9, within the jurisdiction of Ramna police station.
Police collected evidence from the scene and launched an investigation. Initial observations suggested a possible suicide, but authorities have not announced a final conclusion about the circumstances of her death.
Investigators are examining the alleged consultant’s role, the financial transactions, the authenticity of the documents and whether any connection exists between the alleged fraud and Laiba’s death.
The amount allegedly paid to the consultant varies across media reports. While her family’s account cited a demand of Rs7 million and a cash payment of Rs2.1 million, other initial reports referred to an alleged payment of Rs5 million. The financial details and allegations remain subject to verification.
No final police findings establishing the alleged fraud or its connection to the death have been reported.
