Senate panel orders probe into Rs7m US admission fraud after graduate's death

A Senate committee has ordered a detailed investigation into an alleged Rs7 million overseas education fraud, a case it is examining alongside the reported death of Laiba Ijaz, a gold medal-winning graduate of the International Islamic University Islamabad.

The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, was briefed by a senior Islamabad Police officer on the investigation and the action taken against suspects, according to a report by Minute Mirror.

The committee was told that about Rs7 million was allegedly paid against a promise of securing admission to a university in the United States, on the basis of documents suspected of being forged. The account given to the committee did not specify when the payment was made or who received it, and it did not describe the circumstances of Ijaz's death. No court finding has been recorded in the proceedings described.

Zehri called for a transparent, impartial and comprehensive inquiry to establish the facts of the alleged fraud and the death. She said investigators must identify everyone involved and determine the circumstances of the financial loss the family is reported to have suffered, and the committee directed the authorities to submit a detailed progress report at its next meeting covering the investigation, action against suspects and efforts to address the family's financial concerns.

Members also reviewed other complaints against individuals accused of collecting money by promising foreign education, study visas and employment. Officials told the committee that around Rs5 million had been recovered in a separate case, but the information presented did not establish any connection between that recovery and Ijaz's case.

The absence of representatives from the Higher Education Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew criticism at the hearing. The chairperson said both institutions needed to take part because the allegations involved overseas university admissions and visa-related processes, and both have been directed to attend the next meeting with relevant documents, a briefing and details of any action taken within their mandates.

The committee called for stronger coordination among Islamabad Police, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, the Federal Investigation Agency, the HEC and the Foreign Office, saying information-sharing and cooperation were essential to investigating overseas education and visa consultancy fraud without unnecessary administrative delays.

Zehri stressed the need to verify the legal registration and credentials of education and visa consultancy firms, and called for legal action against businesses and individuals found to have committed fraud, including anyone who knowingly assisted such activity. The committee urged students and families to check a consultancy's registration and credentials before paying for overseas education, employment or visa services.

It directed the relevant institutions to provide supporting records and a clear account of their actions at the next meeting, with the stated aim of pursuing accountability and preventing similar cases.