ISLAMABAD: The death of student Laiba Aijaz on Friday drew the attention of the government, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meeting the Islamabad police chief and chief commissioner and directing them to arrest the accused.

Sources in the police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told Dawn that the prime minister called Inspector General Mohammad Sohail Chaudhry and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Sohail Ashraf and directed them to apprehend the man accused of defrauding the deceased student. The IG briefed the prime minister on the incident during the meeting.

The capital police registered a case against the accused under Sections 322 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on Saturday, following a complaint lodged by Mohammad Aijaz, a native of Sargodha residing in G-10.

The accused allegedly defrauded the student of millions of rupees, following which she reportedly took her own life.

Orders arrest of accused agent

The minister of state for interior and narcotics control also contacted FIA officers and directed them to take strict action against the accused.

The FIA Islamabad Zone has initiated an investigation and is conducting raids at various locations to trace and arrest him, according to a statement issued by the agency.

The FIA Islamabad Zone director also visited Laiba’s residence, met her family and gathered details about the incident.

According to the FIA, the accused allegedly gained the family’s trust by misrepresenting his identity and professional status before obtaining money from them for different purposes.

He was not a registered visa agent but claimed to work as an accountant at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

He later made conflicting claims about his identity and employment, the agency said.

The FIA statement said Rs550,000 was paid to the accused for securing employment for Laiba’s brother, while Rs7.2 million was handed over to him on the pretext of securing Laiba’s admission to Harvard University in the United States.

The agency said the payments and claims made by the accused were being examined and further legal action would follow as the investigation progressed.

Laiba had recently completed her BS degree from the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). The accused allegedly defrauded her with the help of a female accomplice.

According to a police report, her father contacted the police helpline after she went missing, saying she was under extreme psychological distress.

Following an analysis of call detail records and location data, a joint police and family search found her body hanging by a scarf from a tree inside a fenced enclosure on the G-10 Sunday Bazaar green belt.

The body was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in an Edhi ambulance.

After the autopsy, the victim’s clothes and biological samples were secured and sealed for forensic examination. The formal autopsy report is awaited.

Investigators have secured the visa documents allegedly provided by the accused. A special police team has also been formed to trace and arrest him and his female accomplice. His name has been placed on the stop list to prevent him from leaving the country.

Police sources said Laiba’s family had arranged money for the agent by selling a plot and gold ornaments.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2026