Pakistan student Laiba Aijaz dies after fake Harvard scholarship scam, PKR 9.3 mn lost
Synopsis
A gold-medal IIUI student reportedly took her own life after paying PKR 9.3 million for a Harvard admission and scholarship that turned out to be entirely forged — exposing Pakistan's unregulated education consultancy industry where anyone can promise foreign university seats, collect fees, and face little legal consequence.
Key Takeaways
Laiba Aijaz , a IIUI gold-medallist, reportedly died by suicide after discovering her Harvard University admission and scholarship were fake.
She allegedly paid PKR 9.3 million — PKR 2.9 million by bank transfer, the rest in cash — to two accused individuals.
The FIA registered an FIR on 10 October naming Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar (also known as Aiza) as accused.
Investigators allege the accused provided fabricated scholarship letters, forged fee receipts, and counterfeit admission offers.
Critics argue Pakistan's near-total absence of oversight for educational consultants enables a 'flourishing industry of deception', according to The Friday Times .
Laiba Aijaz, a gold-medal student at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), reportedly died by suicide after discovering that the Harvard University admission and scholarship she had paid PKR 9.3 million to secure were entirely fabricated. The case, which has triggered a formal investigation by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has cast a harsh spotlight on the largely unregulated educational consultancy industry preying on students' overseas ambitions across Pakistan.
What Happened
According to an FIR registered by the FIA on 10 October, two individuals — Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar, also identified as Aiza — allegedly extracted PKR 9.3 million from Laiba Aijaz by promising to arrange a US visa and a university scholarship on her behalf. Of the total sum, PKR 2.9 million was transferred through a bank account; the remainder was reportedly paid in cash.
Investigators allege that the accused supplied Laiba with forged scholarship letters, fabricated fee payment receipts, and counterfeit university admission offers. The FIR records her subsequent death but, notably, the FIA has not formally stated the cause of death in its filing.
The Industry of Deception
Karachi-based journalist Omar Quraishi, writing in The Friday Times, described the case as 'a heartbreaking tragedy' and a systemic indictment. 'It is also an indictment of a system that allows unscrupulous individuals to exploit the educational ambitions of young Pakistanis with seemingly little fear of being caught or punished. And unless something changes, Laiba will not be the last student whose dreams are shattered by this flourishing industry of deception,' he wrote.
Educational and visa consultants across Pakistan routinely advertise guarantees of prestigious university admissions, scholarships, student visas, and even immigration pathways — often through social media, with no formal verification of their credentials. According to the report, the absence of effective regulatory oversight means virtually anyone can hold themselves out as an educational consultant and begin collecting fees from students and their families.
Systemic Gaps That Enable Fraud
The report details a structural vulnerability: the lack of a licensing or certification requirement for educational consultants in Pakistan. While some operators provide legitimate services, the industry reportedly also harbours individuals who exploit students' ignorance of actual foreign admissions procedures and their desperation to study abroad.
This is not an isolated case. Critics argue that without a national registry of accredited consultants, mandatory disclosure rules, and harsher criminal penalties, the fraud ecosystem will continue to flourish — and more families like Laiba's will be devastated.
Investigative Status
The FIA has filed an FIR naming Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar as the primary accused. No arrests have been publicly confirmed as of the time of reporting. The agency's investigation is ongoing, and the exact circumstances of Laiba's death remain under examination.
The case is expected to renew calls within Pakistan for legislation governing overseas education consultants — a reform that advocacy groups have reportedly sought for years without success.
Point of View
Not an aberration. Pakistan has no licensing framework for educational consultants, no mandatory disclosure of success rates, and historically light criminal enforcement — conditions that make overseas-admission fraud a low-risk, high-reward enterprise. The FIA FIR is a necessary first step, but without structural reform — accreditation requirements, a public blacklist of fraudulent operators, and penalties scaled to the sums defrauded — this case will be a tragic footnote rather than a turning point. The students most at risk are precisely those with the most to lose: high achievers from middle-income families whose academic credentials make the promise of a Harvard seat feel plausible.
NationPress
15 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Laiba Aijaz and what happened to her?
Laiba Aijaz was a gold-medal student at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) who reportedly died by suicide after discovering that the Harvard University admission and scholarship she had paid PKR 9.3 million to secure were entirely forged. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a case in connection with the fraud.
Who are the accused in the Laiba Aijaz scholarship fraud case?
The FIA's FIR, filed on 10 October, names Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar — also identified as Aiza — as the two individuals who allegedly defrauded Laiba Aijaz. They are accused of providing fake scholarship letters, fabricated fee receipts, and counterfeit admission offers in exchange for PKR 9.3 million.
How was the PKR 9.3 million paid?
According to the FIA's FIR, PKR 2.9 million was transferred through a bank account, while the remaining amount was paid in cash to the accused.
Why does Pakistan's educational consultancy industry allow such fraud to occur?
Pakistan currently has no effective regulatory or licensing framework for educational consultants, meaning anyone can advertise overseas admission services on social media and collect money from students without formal verification of credentials. Critics argue this absence of oversight creates fertile ground for exploitation, as reported in The Friday Times.
What is the current status of the investigation?
The FIA has registered an FIR naming two accused individuals as of 10 October. The investigation is ongoing, no formal arrests have been publicly confirmed, and the agency has not officially stated the cause of Laiba Aijaz's death in its filing.
