Pakistani Gold Medalist’s Death Sparks Fraud Probe, Defrauded of $35,000 | GRAVITAS

24-year-old Laiba Ejaz was full of dreams as she looked forward to continuing her higher education in the US, after earning a gold medal in physics from Islamabad. Her father, who sold milk and yoghurt on the streets for a living, sacrificed a lot to ensure that his daughters could complete their masters' degree. However, a visa fraud turned their life upside down.

In a tragic development, her body was found hanging from a tree in Islamabad on October 9. According to reports, she took this extreme step after severe psychological distress after being entangled in a visa and scholarship fraud. Two suspects posing as education consultants, allegedly defrauded Ejaz and her family to the tune of 34,000 US dollars by promising to secure her admission to Harvard University, along with a scholarship and a US visa. The suspects also supplied forged admission letters, scholarship documents, as well as payment receipts. However, the fraud came to the fore when her admission letter was rejected during a visa interview at the US embassy.

Now, to pay the hefty amount to the consultants, considerable financial sacrifice was involved. Her father sold a plot of land which he had purchased to build a family home, whereas her mother pawned her jewellery.

After her death sparked outrage, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif ordered a thorough probe. Terming her death 'extremely tragic', he instructed Islamabad police to arrest those responsible and ensure exemplary punishment. Following his directive, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the bereaved family over the weekend. Subsequently, Islamabad police as well as the country's Federal Investigation Agency launched a probe into the circumstances regarding her death and the alleged fraud. An FIR was then registered against the main accused named Nauman, and his female accomplice, who falsely presented herself as his contact in the US. After being arrested in Islamabad, he was sent to police custody for five days.

As of now, reports suggest that investigators are viewing it more as an impersonation scam. Meanwhile, the Islamabad police awarded commendation certificates to the probe team for their role in the arrest of the suspect in the Laiba Ejaz case.

Now, this case has also brought into spotlight how poverty, unemployment and limited opportunities, in Pakistan are putting more pressure on young people, to seek education and employment abroad. Experts have called for effective regulation of overseas education consultants and public policies aimed at protecting students and their families from exploitation.