How a Harvard dream ended in tragedy for a Pakistani family

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the death of 24-year-old Laiba Ijaz, a physics graduate from Islamabad, has exposed a fraud scheme tied to her hope of studying at Harvard University. According to the article, Laiba’s family paid millions of rupees to a man identified as Muhammad Noman, who allegedly claimed he could arrange her admission and visa paperwork. Police said he was later arrested, then died after being shot while in custody. Officials also said they recovered more than 5 million rupees from him and returned it to the family, though her father said the money could not make up for the loss.

The report says the family was persuaded over time by documents and assurances that appeared to support a real application, including letters and travel paperwork that later proved fake. Laiba’s father, Rana Muhammad Ijaz, told Al Jazeera he sold property and family jewellery to meet the demands for fees and funds. He said the family discovered the deception only after checking the documents with a travel agent and lawyer neighbor.

Laiba was found dead near her home on October 9 after leaving following a message from Noman, and police initial findings suggested she likely died by suicide. The article places the case in the broader context of rising demand among Pakistani students for overseas education, while noting that education consultancies are poorly regulated and no one can guarantee admission to a foreign university.