PM takes notice of gold medallist's suicide

The federal government has accelerated action in the case of late International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) gold medallist student Laiba Ijaz, who committed suicide after her dreams of pursuing higher studies at Harvard University were squashed when a man posing as an agent defrauded her of over Rs7 million.

After Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the case, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry visited Laiba's home to offer their condolences on Saturday. Following the Prime Minister's directions, the Islamabad Police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have also initiated investigations. The case of Laiba Ijaz's death came to light when her body was found hanging from a tree in Sector G-10, Islamabad on Friday.

Laiba's family stated that she had earned a BS degree with a gold medal from IIUI and aspired to enrol at Harvard University in the United States for further studies. The family stated that they had made significant financial sacrifices to secure Laiba's academic future and fulfil her dream.

They alleged that an individual, acting as an agent, took over Rs7 million from them on the pretext of securing her an admission and a scholarship at Harvard University. To help realise her dream, Laiba's father sold his plot and pitched in Rs2.1 million from the sale's proceeds, while her mother sold her gold jewellery.

According to the family, the suspect claimed to be an accounts officer at the Islamabad High Court and at other times presented himself as an employee of the superior judiciary or an officer of a sensitive institution. The family claims that despite the substantial payment, the promises regarding admission and the scholarship were never fulfilled.

According to Laiba's maternal uncle, Rana Amjad, the Harvard University admission letter, scholarship letter and other documents provided by the accused turned out to be fake upon verification. He stated that Laiba suffered severe distress and mental anguish after the alleged fraud came to light. Her family has demanded a thorough investigation into the matter, the arrest of all individuals involved in the alleged fraud, and the recovery of the money.

Meanwhile, Laiba's family has submitted an application to the FIA for the registration of a case and the initiation of legal action. FIA Islamabad Zone Director Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari met with Laiba's family to gather details about the incident. According to FIA sources, the alleged fake documents have been obtained from the family, and raids are being conducted to arrest the accused.

During a press conference, Naqvi noted that the alleged accused had also collected money under the pretext of offering clients employment and assistance in other visa-related queries. Laiba's father too noted that the accused had extorted an additional Rs500,000 from them on the pretext of helping their son get a government job. The PM has directed the IG and Chief Commissioner to arrest the accused.