ISLAMABAD – A gold-medal-winning graduate of the International Islamic University Islamabad, identified as Laiba, is at the centre of an investigation into a suspected suicide in the capital’s G-10 sector.
The victim family alleged that she was defrauded by a consultant who promised to secure her admission to a university in the United States.
The police said the investigation was being conducted from multiple angles, while the post-mortem report had yet to be received. The actual cause of death will be determined after the report becomes available, according to officials.
The case has also raised concerns about fraudulent overseas education consultants who exploit students and families seeking admission to foreign universities. However, the allegations against the consultant remain subject to investigation.
Laiba’s family said she had aspired to pursue higher education abroad and had approached a consultant who allegedly demanded Rs7 million to arrange her admission to an American university.
According to the family, her father, who supports his children by selling milk on a motorcycle, sold a plot of land and paid Rs2.1 million in cash to the agent. The family also reportedly pledged the mother’s jewellery at a bank to arrange the remaining amount.
The family alleged that Laiba became suspicious and had the admission documents checked, only to discover that the university admission letter and related paperwork were fake.
The alleged fraud reportedly left the family facing a substantial financial loss and dealt a severe emotional blow to Laiba, who had worked hard to pursue her educational ambitions.
In what the family described as her final message to her maternal uncle, Laiba reportedly asked him not to tell her father about the alleged fraud, fearing that the news would devastate him.
Police have expanded the scope of their investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said the post-mortem findings would be crucial in establishing the cause of death, while the allegations of fraud would require further verification.
