The identity of a suspect accused of defrauding Laiba Ejaz, a gold medal-winning student at the International Islamic University Islamabad, has been partially established, officials say.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Shehzad Bukhari told ARY News that a woman was also allegedly involved in the fraud.
He said the suspect, identified as Noman, had falsely presented himself as an accountant at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, adding that he was neither an agent nor a study consultant.
Bukhari said the suspects’ names had been placed on a stop list and that investigators had obtained Noman’s data.
Teams have been dispatched to arrest the suspects, he added.
Read Also: Laiba’s uncle reveals how family lost millions in US scholarship scam
A maternal uncle of a Pakistani student, Laiba Ejaz, who committed suicide in Islamabad after being defrauded by an education consultant, said she had dreamed of studying in the US and becoming a scientist.
Speaking to ARY News, Laiba’s maternal uncle said that to make her dream come true, she had approached a consultancy in Islamabad’s Blue Area, where a man identified as Noman offered to arrange a scholarship.
Under the proposed arrangement, Laiba’s family was told they would have to pay 20 percent of the costs, while the university would cover the remaining 80 percent.
After submitting the required documents, the family was informed that the scholarship had been approved, her maternal uncle said.
He said that the consultant learned the family had savings of around Rs.1.2 to 1.3 million and persuaded them to hand over the money.
The family was subsequently told that a bank statement was also required under new rules, he said. They sold a plot of land and transferred Rs.4 million to the consultant’s account.
