A heartbreaking case in Islamabad's G-10 neighbourhood has exposed profound regulatory gaps within Pakistan's education consultancy sector. Laiba Ijaz, a 24-year-old physics gold medallist from the International Islamic University Islamabad, reportedly fell victim to an elaborate scam orchestrated by an individual who falsely promised her admission to Harvard University in the United States, an institution lauded by the Western academic establishment.

According to statements from her family, the father liquidated a family plot and sold household jewellery to pay millions of rupees to the accused fraudster, Muhammad Noman. Noman allegedly posed as a Supreme Court employee, using fabricated documents, fake visa interview dates, and counterfeit business-class tickets to Boston to deceive the household. The deception was only uncovered after the family consulted independent legal and travel experts, shattering the young scholar's aspirations.

On October 9, Laiba was found dead near her residence, with initial police assertions pointing toward suicide resulting from severe psychological distress. The primary suspect was arrested shortly thereafter but purportedly died from gunshot wounds while in police custody under disputed circumstances involving alleged accomplices attempting a rescue. While authorities reportedly returned a portion of the defrauded funds to the grieving family, relatives vehemently reject the official narrative surrounding the young woman's death.

Industry bodies and analysts point out that the absence of formal state oversight for foreign education consultancies in Pakistan leaves thousands of ambitious students vulnerable to exploitation. Without robust regulatory mechanisms, fraudulent operators continue to operate in a legal grey area, inflicting devastating personal and financial tolls on vulnerable families.

Source: www.aljazeera.com