A 24-year-old physics graduate from Sargodha, Punjab, who earned a gold medal from International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), became the alleged victim of a multimillion-rupee overseas education scam involving fake Harvard University admission documents, scholarship papers and visa arrangements.
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The case centres on Ijaz, who hoped to pursue advanced studies in the United States before building a career in science. According to her family, she and her relatives paid approximately Rs9.3 million to individuals who allegedly promised to secure her admission to Harvard University, a scholarship and a US visa.
The alleged fraud came to light when Ijaz attended a visa interview at the US Embassy in Islamabad and the admission documents reportedly could not be verified.
Her death on October 9 has prompted an investigation into the alleged scam, the people involved and the circumstances surrounding her final days.
Authorities have registered a criminal case, and a suspect has reportedly been arrested. The allegations remain under investigation.
A Gold Medallist’s Dream of Studying Abroad
Ijaz was the youngest of seven children in a family that made significant financial sacrifices to support its daughters’ education.
Her father, who has sold milk and yoghurt on the streets of Islamabad since 1994, did not complete primary school. However, he was determined to educate his four daughters through the master’s degree level.
Ijaz hoped to follow the example of her eldest sister, who received a scholarship to study in China and later secured a job as a translator for a major Chinese company in Lahore.
She had previously received an offer to study in Saudi Arabia through a university scholarship but declined it because she wanted to pursue higher education in the United States.
To finance her plans, her father sold a plot of land he had purchased to build a family home. Her mother also pawned her jewellery to help meet the financial demands of the people who allegedly promised to arrange her admission and visa.
How did the alleged Harvard admission fraud unfold?
According to her family, Ijaz was searching for an overseas education consultant when she became involved in an arrangement promising admission to Harvard University, a scholarship and a US visa.
The alleged fraud involved forged admission letters, scholarship documents and payment receipts intended to make the arrangement appear legitimate.
A counterfeit document reportedly claimed that Ijaz had paid $7,500 in tuition fees for a master’s programme in physics at Harvard.
However, the alleged deception came to light when Ijaz appeared for a visa interview at the US Embassy in Islamabad and the admission document was reportedly rejected.
Her maternal uncle, Amjad Ur Rehman, told media that the family subsequently contacted Harvard University directly and made inquiries through its contacts at the US Embassy. Neither institution could verify the documents supplied to Ijaz, he said.
The media reports claimed that Rs2.9 million was transferred through Ijaz’s bank account, while the remainder of the Rs9.3 million was paid in cash.
Investigators are examining the financial transactions and communications as part of the ongoing investigation.
Suspect Allegedly Impersonated US-Based Contacts
Investigators believe Noman allegedly used the identities of people known to Ijaz to maintain the deception and strengthen the impression that he could arrange her overseas education.
According to media reports, the suspect contacted Ijaz while impersonating Aiza – her close friend in the United States (US) and also used a Gmail account created in the name of Aiza’s brother, Azhar, who lives in the United States.
The alleged use of AI to generate fake student visa documents has added another dimension to the case, raising concerns about how digital tools can be exploited to produce convincing fraudulent paperwork.
Investigators have recovered part of the suspect’s chat history, while forensic analysis of his mobile phone is expected to help establish the extent of the alleged scheme and identify any other people involved.
Authorities have also reportedly found material on the suspect’s phone suggesting possible involvement in other online fraud schemes and the blackmailing of women. These allegations remain under investigation.
Laiba’s Final Days
Ijaz’s family said she became increasingly distressed after doubts emerged about the authenticity of the documents and the whereabouts of the money.
Her brother-in-law, Zaid bin Afzal, told The Media Line that Noman repeatedly postponed her visa interview. On three or four occasions, he allegedly contacted Ijaz the night before a scheduled appointment to tell her that it had been cancelled.
During their final conversation, Noman reportedly claimed that another interview had been scheduled for October 12 and demanded the remaining Rs2.2 million before that date.
By then, Afzal said, Ijaz had discovered the alleged deception and was deeply distressed.
On October 9, she left home without telling her family where she was going. Before leaving, she had been communicating online with her elder sister, while her laptop remained at home.
Afzal said Ijaz contacted him shortly before her death and pleaded with him not to reveal the alleged fraud to her father.
“Don’t tell my father about the fraud committed against me; otherwise, he will die,” she said, according to Afzal.
Later, Afzal went to a weekly market in Islamabad’s G-10 sector, where he said he discovered her body. Police were alerted and transported the body to a hospital.
Ijaz’s death has been reported as a suicide following the discovery of the alleged scam. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding her death and the extent to which the alleged fraud contributed to her distress.
FIA Registers Case, Police Arrest Suspect
The FIA registered a criminal case against Noman and an alleged female accomplice, Fatima Sarwar, following a complaint filed by Ijaz’s maternal uncle.
The first information report (FIR) alleges that the suspects, acting with other individuals, deceived the family through a fraudulent scholarship and visa arrangement.
Law enforcement sources told The Media Line that Noman was arrested during a late-night raid in Islamabad’s H-13 sector, where he had reportedly been staying in a rented room to avoid detection.
FIA Director General Usman Anwar described the case as an impersonation scam rather than a conventional education consultancy fraud, saying the alleged female accomplice had falsely presented herself as Noman’s contact in the United States.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a thorough investigation into Ijaz’s death, describing it as “extremely tragic” and directing Islamabad Police to arrest those responsible and ensure exemplary punishment.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also visited the bereaved family following the prime minister’s directive.
Calls for Stricter Regulation of Overseas Education Consultants
The case has renewed concerns about fraudulent education consultants targeting Pakistani students and families seeking opportunities abroad.
Ijaz’s family reportedly sold land and pawned jewellery to finance what they believed was a legitimate route to an international education. The alleged fraud not only caused substantial financial losses but also left the family grappling with the death of a young woman who had excelled academically.
Pakistan’s FIA has investigated other cases involving forged university admission letters, scholarship documents, visas and related paperwork used to exploit prospective students.
The allegations surrounding Ijaz’s case have also highlighted the potential role of fake digital identities, fraudulent email accounts and AI-generated documents in modern scams.
As investigators examine the suspect’s communications, financial transactions and electronic devices, the case has intensified calls for stronger safeguards to help students verify university admissions, scholarships and visa arrangements through official channels.
For Ijaz’s family, the investigation is now a search for accountability after millions of rupees were allegedly taken from them in pursuit of her dream of studying abroad.
Authorities have yet to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud, and the claims against the suspects remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
