Pakistani physics gold medalist’s death sparks fraud investigation over fake US scholarship
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a thorough investigation, describing Ejaz’s death as “extremely tragic."
Laiba Ejaz, a 24-year-old physics student from Sargodha, Pakistan, tragically took her own life on October 9 in Islamabad's G-10 sector, leaving her family devastated and sparking a federal investigation into alleged wrongdoing by an education consultancy firm. Laiba's death has shone a light on the alleged fraud carried out by Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar, who allegedly swindled her family of 9.3 million Pakistani rupees (around $34,000) by promising her admission to Harvard University and a scholarship.
Nauman and Sarwar allegedly supplied forged admission letters and payment receipts. The Pakistani government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has ordered a thorough investigation, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and State Minister Talal Chaudhry visiting the family. Authorities have registered a criminal case against Nauman and Sarwar following a complaint from Ejaz's maternal uncle.
The investigation suggests that the couple operated an impersonation scam, using false documents to deceive Laiba's family and potentially engaging in other online fraud schemes.
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