Court Grants Police Remand In Islamabad Visa Fraud Case

An Islamabad judicial magistrate on Monday granted police a five-day physical remand of the main suspect in a case linked to the death of 20-year-old student Laiba Aijaz, who allegedly died by suicide after being defrauded in a visa and foreign education scheme. The remand was approved after the suspect was produced before Judicial Magistrate Zunaira Zafar with his face covered.

Police had requested a 10-day physical remand in the case registered at Ramna police station, arguing that investigators needed more time to examine the facts, verify evidence and determine the suspect’s alleged role. The investigating officer told the court that items connected to the suspect and other possible evidence still had to be recovered and assessed.

The case has drawn wide public attention because of the nature of the alleged fraud and the circumstances surrounding the student’s death. According to police, Laiba had paid Rs5 million as part of a broader arrangement to move to the United States for further studies. Investigators say she was allegedly deceived through false promises and fake documents.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier taken notice of the case and directed police to arrest the suspect. The main suspect and two female alleged accomplices were later picked up during separate raids in the federal capital. Officials have said the allegations remain subject to investigation and will be tested through evidence collected during the remand period.

Preliminary findings suggest the main suspect had previously served in the Quetta Anti-Corruption Department before being dismissed. Investigators also suspect that he operated with two women and other accomplices in a wider fraud network that allegedly targeted multiple people and collected millions of rupees through false claims.

Laiba had studied in the BS Physics programme at the International Islamic University Islamabad from 2019 to 2023, though she was no longer enrolled at the university when she died. The Federal Investigation Agency has said the suspect allegedly used misrepresentation and a female accomplice to obtain large sums from her family.

According to the investigation, the money was allegedly taken on the pretext of securing employment for Laiba’s brother and arranging her admission to Harvard University in the United States. The suspect allegedly provided fake travel documents, scholarship letters, admission offers and fee payment receipts, which later became central to the inquiry.

A police case has been registered under provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code dealing with qatl-bis-sabab and common intention. Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency has registered a case on a complaint filed by Laiba’s maternal uncle under provisions related to cheating, abetment and immigration-related fraud.

The next phase of the investigation is expected to focus on tracing financial transactions, verifying documents, examining digital evidence and identifying any additional victims. The court’s five-day remand gives investigators a limited window to build the case before the suspect is produced again for further proceedings.