Islamabad Student Death: Family alleges Rs5m education fraud over US university admission

The death of a promising Pakistani student who hoped to pursue higher education in the United States has prompted allegations of fraud against an education consultant accused of providing fake admission and visa documents

The 24-year-old woman, who had completed her BS degree with a gold medal, was found hanging from a tree along a green belt near Islamabad’s Sunday Bazaar. Police initially treated the incident as an apparent suicide, but the circumstances and cause of her death remain under investigation.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Shahzad Bukhari has taken notice of the case and contacted the student’s family to obtain details about the alleged fraud.

The agency has sought information from her maternal uncle, Rana Amjad, who confirmed that FIA officials had contacted him.

According to the family, an education consultant demanded Rs7 million to arrange the student’s admission to a university in the United States. Her father reportedly sold a plot of land to finance her education and paid Rs2.1 million, while her mother pledged her jewellery at a bank to help meet the costs.

The family alleges that the consultant received around Rs5 million but failed to secure the promised admission, instead providing documents they later discovered were forged.

The documents allegedly included university admission papers, a visa and bank statements. The student had reportedly hoped to study at Harvard University and fulfil her ambition of becoming a physicist.

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Her maternal uncle described her as an exceptionally bright student who had studied on a scholarship and graduated with a gold medal. He said she had worked towards continuing her education abroad and building a career in physics.

The family said the discovery of the allegedly fake documents shattered the student’s hopes after her parents had made significant financial sacrifices to support her future.

In a message reportedly sent to her maternal uncle, the student disclosed the alleged fraud and urged him not to tell her father.

“Don’t tell Dad; it would kill him,” she reportedly wrote, expressing concern about the effect the news could have on her father.

Police have recorded an initial report, while the family expects a formal first information report (FIR) to be registered following the post-mortem examination.

Investigators will need to establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death through evidence and forensic findings. The allegations against the consultant also require investigation, and no finding of criminal liability has been established in the information provided.

The student’s funeral prayers were held in Sector G-10 before she was buried at Islamabad’s H-11 graveyard.

Her death has left her family devastated. Relatives and neighbours mourned the loss of a young graduate whose family said she had been determined to pursue higher education.

The family has appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other relevant authorities to intervene, investigate the alleged fraud and ensure that those responsible are held accountable if wrongdoing is established.