Islamabad gold medallist dies after alleged Harvard admission fraud

A gold medallist in physics from the International Islamic University Islamabad has died after reportedly discovering that documents arranged for her planned admission to Harvard University in the United States were forged.

Laiba had hoped to continue her education abroad after completing her bachelor’s degree with a gold medal. Her family made substantial financial sacrifices to help her achieve that goal. Her death has brought the alleged education scam into focus, with relatives claiming that a consultant took millions of rupees by promising to secure her admission and scholarship.

Laiba’s body was found hanging from a tree near G-10 Sunday Market in Islamabad on Friday. The area falls within the jurisdiction of Ramna police station. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, while the post-mortem report is awaited to determine the cause of death.

According to her family, a consultant demanded Rs7 million to arrange her admission to a university in the United States. The documents he supplied, including an admission letter and scholarship papers purportedly linked to Harvard University, were later examined and found to be fake.

The family further alleged that the consultant had presented himself as Laiba’s sponsor and claimed to be working as an accounts officer at the Islamabad High Court. He had also promised to arrange a government job for Laiba’s brother and reportedly received an additional Rs500,000 for that purpose.

The revelation that the admission and scholarship documents were forged dealt a major blow to Laiba’s plans for higher education in the United States. Her relatives said she experienced severe emotional distress after learning that the arrangements she had relied on were fraudulent.

Despite living in a rented flat, Laiba’s father worked hard to support his children’s education by selling milk from a motorcycle. According to the family, he sold a plot of land to finance his daughter’s overseas studies and handed Rs2.1 million in cash to the consultant.

Laiba’s mother also pledged her jewellery at a bank to help meet the expenses. The family had hoped their sacrifices would allow the young graduate to pursue advanced studies abroad and build a better future.

After discovering the alleged fraud, Laiba reportedly sent a message to her maternal uncle, asking him not to tell her father what had happened because she feared the news would deeply upset him.

Police have widened their investigation and are looking into the consultant’s dealings with the family. The Federal Investigation Agency has also taken notice of the case and contacted the family to obtain further information.

Investigators are awaiting the post-mortem findings and examining the documents and financial transactions linked to the promised admission. The findings may help establish the circumstances surrounding Laiba’s death and determine what further action should be taken in the case.

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