How a Harvard dream ended in tragedy for a Pakistani family

Key points

• Laiba Ijaz, 24, was found dead near her Islamabad home on October 9 after her family was defrauded over a Harvard admission.
• Muhammad Noman, accused of the fraud, was arrested and later died on October 20 after being shot in police custody.
• Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave the family more than 5 million rupees ($18,000) recovered from Noman on October 21.

Laiba Ijaz, 24, a physics gold medallist from the International Islamic University Islamabad, was found dead near her home on October 9, according to an Al Jazeera report. Initial police findings in the case suggest she likely died by suicide after her family was defrauded of millions of rupees by a man who promised her admission to Harvard University in the United States.

Muhammad Noman, accused of the fraud, was arrested two days later. He died on October 20 after being shot while in police custody; police said his accomplices opened fire to free him. On October 21, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the family and handed over more than 5 million rupees ($18,000) that officials said had been recovered from Noman.

How the family was defrauded

Laiba met Noman this year at a call centre in Islamabad's Blue Area, her father Rana Muhammad Ijaz told Al Jazeera. Noman later began visiting the family's dairy shop, claimed to work at the Supreme Court and offered to help with her application. The family paid in stages, starting with 2.2 million rupees ($7,900) for university fees, Ijaz said. Noman later claimed Harvard needed proof of 7.2 million rupees ($25,900) in funds passed through his account, so Ijaz said he sold a plot and the family jewellery.

The family learned the truth about October 6 after showing the documents to a travel agent and a lawyer neighbour, who said none was genuine, Ijaz said. Laiba left home on October 9 despite her mother's protests, and her body was found about 3:30pm, less than two hours later.

She did not die herself. He [Noman] killed her.

— Zaid bin Afzal

Investigations and official response

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered Noman's arrest a day after Laiba died, and police and the Federal Investigation Agency registered separate cases. The FIA said Noman was not a registered visa agent. A senior police official said investigations were ongoing and initial postmortem findings pointed to suicide, with a remaining forensic report expected in 15 to 20 days.

Authorities are investigating the attack on Noman, but no one has been arrested yet. Ijaz and his family refuse to accept that Laiba died by suicide. Her brother-in-law Zaid bin Afzal said: "She did not die herself."