Susanna Riva In the heart of Islamabad 's G-10 neighborhood , a small family business, the Rana Malik Center , is at the center of a story that mixes academic aspirations, financial deception, and a tragic death. Rana Muhammad Ijaz, owner of the dairy shop and resident of the apartment above for more than three decades , recalls his simple daily life shattered by the loss of his youngest daughter, Laiba Ijaz , who was found dead on October 9.
The family had placed high hopes on the study abroad plan of Laiba, 24, a physics graduate and gold medalist at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) . These expectations led her parents to sell family assets and pay large sums to an intermediary who promised to secure her admission to Harvard University.
Payments, apparently authentic documents and the discovery of fraud
According to the family's account, the affair began after Laiba met Muhammad Noman at a work site in the Blue Area , the capital's business district. Noman introduced himself as a Supreme Court employee and showed a badge that the family deemed authentic. The sums paid since the beginning of the process were made in several installments: the first, 2.2 million rupees (about $7,900 ), for alleged university fees; subsequently, the request increased to 7.2 million rupees (about $25,900 ) as the amount required to demonstrate the university's financial availability.
Documents delivered to the family in late September seemed to confirm the process: offer and scholarship letters addressed to Harvard, a stamped immigration form, a sponsorship affidavit from New York, an embassy registration with Laiba's photo, and even a plane ticket to Boston . These elements initially convinced the parents of the legitimacy of the process.
The denial of the trip and the truth that emerged
In early October, the family began to grow suspicious. A travel agent verified that the ticket to Boston was counterfeit, and a neighboring lawyer concluded that the entire file was fake. The discovery of the fraud, which occurred around October 6th, devastated the family: many assets had already been sold to raise the money, including land and jewelry.
Laiba's death on October 9 and the subsequent investigation
On the morning of October 9, Laiba left her home after receiving a message from the man her family believed had deceived her. Less than two hours later, around 15:30 PM, relatives and friends found her dead in an area near her home. Her relatives, including Zaid bin Afzal , immediately called the police.
Initial investigations indicated that the cause of death was likely suicide, based on initial postmortem findings and footage showing Laiba walking out alone with her phone in her hand. However, the family firmly rejects this theory: " She couldn't have done it alone ," they say, and they blame Noman directly for the death.
The accused was arrested and killed in custody.
Authorities arrested Muhammad Noman two days after his body was found. While in custody, Noman was shot on October 20 during an operation police said was an attempt to free him by accomplices on two motorcycles; Noman died while being transported for treatment. The following day, October 21, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi handed over to the family over 5 million rupees (approximately $18,000 ) believed to be recovered from assets seized from Noman.
Despite the money being returned, for the Ijaz, financial restitution hasn't brought Laiba back: sentimental value and personal loss remain more important than material compensation. Criminal authorities and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have opened investigations on multiple fronts, including the practices of study abroad consulting agencies, an unregulated segment that industry players believe facilitates abuse.
The case raises questions about how admissions procedures are verified and who can act as a consultant for foreign studies: the lack of an official list of regulated agents has allowed, according to observers, unregistered individuals to offer services with no guarantees. Meanwhile, the Ijaz family remains eager for the full truth about what happened to the young gold medalist, whose dream of studying abroad turned tragic.