Visa Fraud Suspect in Laiba Ijaz Suicide Case Killed in Firing by Accomplices in Islamabad: Police

ISLAMABAD: The prime suspect accused of defrauding a 20-year-old student of Rs5 million with fake travel documents has died after being shot by his own accomplices, who opened fire on a police party in an attempt to free him from custody in the federal capital, police said.

Main News Report

• Firing to free the suspect: According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, the prime suspect had shared information about another suspect, and a police team was taking him to track down the second suspect when four of his accomplices, on two motorcycles, opened indiscriminate fire on the police party in the jurisdiction of Ramna police station on Tuesday, in an attempt to get the main suspect freed, Dawn reported.
• Suspect injured, died at hospital: The main suspect was injured in the firing and was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the spokesperson said, Dawn reported.
• Police team unharmed: The police team remained safe "due to bulletproof jackets and protective measures", the spokesperson added, Dawn reported.
• Search operations underway: Search operations were underway for the arrest of the suspect's other accomplices, the spokesperson said, Dawn reported.

Background Context

• The student: Laiba Ijaz, a 20-year-old student at the International Islamic University, was said to have been defrauded of Rs5 million, which she had paid to move to the United States for further studies, with an agent accused of handing her fake travel documents, Dawn reported. She later died, allegedly by suicide.
• PM's intervention: The case drew the government's attention, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directing the police to arrest the suspect. Subsequently, he and two of his female accomplices were picked up during separate raids in the federal capital, Dawn reported.
• The police case: A case following Ijaz's death was registered at the Ramna police station under Sections 322 (unintentional murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, Dawn reported.
• The FIA case: A separate case was registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a complaint filed by Ijaz's maternal uncle under provisions relating to cheating, abetment and immigration-related fraud, Dawn reported.
• How the alleged fraud worked: According to the FIA, the main suspect had allegedly obtained millions of rupees from Ijaz's family with the help of a female accomplice and by misrepresenting his identity and professional status. The money was allegedly taken on the pretext of securing employment for her brother and arranging her admission to Harvard University in the US, Dawn reported.

Reactions and Statements

• Islamabad police spokesperson: Said the accomplices opened indiscriminate fire in an attempt to free the main suspect, the police party remained safe due to bulletproof jackets, and the injured suspect died at hospital; search operations are continuing for the remaining accomplices, Dawn reported.
• FIA: Stated the suspect allegedly took millions from the student's family with a female accomplice's help, misrepresenting his identity and professional standing, with the money taken on the pretext of a job for her brother and a Harvard University admission for her, Dawn reported.
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: Had directed police to arrest the suspect after the case drew the government's attention, leading to the raids in which the suspect and two female accomplices were picked up, Dawn reported.

Why This News Matters

• A student failed by the system: A 20-year-old university student lost Rs5 million to what investigators say was a fabricated promise of American education — and then lost her life. The case has become a stark warning about visa-fraud agents preying on students desperate to study abroad.
• Justice denied a trial: With the prime suspect dead before the case could be tried, the full facts of the alleged scam — and of the firing that killed him — may never be established in court. The claim that he was struck by his own accomplices' fire is likely to face close scrutiny.
• The network is still out there: Four armed accomplices are on the run after attacking a police party, and the FIA's case points to an organised operation with female accomplices and a fabricated professional identity — suggesting this was no lone operator.
• Government attention, unresolved outcome: The case reached the Prime Minister's desk, yet its prime accused died in custody of his injuries before facing a judge, raising questions about how high-profile suspects are protected and handled.

Future Developments

• The outcome of the police search operations for the four accomplices who allegedly opened fire near Ramna police station.
• Whether an inquiry is ordered into the circumstances of the firing and the suspect's death while in police custody.
• The progress of the FIA's separate case against the wider alleged fraud network, including the female accomplices.
• Whether the government moves to tighten oversight of immigration agents and consultants following the student's death.

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