The Islamabad visa fraud case took a step forward on Monday, when a judicial magistrate handed the main suspect to police on a five-day physical remand. Judicial Magistrate Zunaira Zafar issued the order after police produced the suspect, his face covered, and asked for ten days to question him.
The case is registered at Ramna police station. It centres on the death last week of Laiba Aijaz, a 20-year-old former student. Police say a man took Rs5 million from her on the promise of sending her to the United States for further studies, and then gave her fake travel documents.
The investigating officer told the court that the facts around the incident still need a full examination. He said the suspect’s alleged role must be pinned down, and the available evidence must be verified. He added that items linked to the suspect also need to be examined, so a longer period in custody was required. The court allowed five days instead of ten. The allegations, at this stage, remain subject to investigation.
Islamabad visa fraud case: how the family was approached
According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the suspect worked with a female accomplice and misrepresented both his identity and his professional status. The money was allegedly taken on two pretexts. One was arranging employment for the young woman’s brother. The other was securing her admission to Harvard University in the US.
Her father, Mohammad Aijaz, had agreed to pay Rs9.3 million in total, according to the first information report. The family paid part of that amount through bank transfers, and the rest in cash. In return, the FIA says, they received fake travel documents and a fraudulent transaction receipt. The suspects also allegedly supplied fake scholarship award letters, admission offers and university fee payment receipts.
Laiba Aijaz had studied in the BS Physics programme at the International Islamic University Islamabad from 2019 to 2023. She was no longer enrolled at the university at the time of her death.
The suspect did not act alone, according to the preliminary investigation. Police say he ran a gang with two women and others, and that the group had taken money from other people as well, running into millions of rupees. He had previously served in the Quetta Anti-Corruption Department, from where he was dismissed.
After the death drew the government’s attention, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed police to arrest those responsible. The main suspect and two women were then picked up during separate raids in the federal capital.
Two cases, and what the remand means
Two separate cases are now running in parallel. Police have registered their case under Sections 322 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Separately, the FIA has registered its own case on a complaint by the young woman’s maternal uncle, under provisions that cover cheating, abetment and immigration-related fraud.
A physical remand is a short, court-supervised period of police custody. It lets investigators question a suspect and recover evidence before a court decides the next step. At the end of the five days, police must produce the suspect before the magistrate again, and either seek more time or move the case forward.
The case also sits inside a wider push on travel and document checks. The FIA recently barred its officers from offloading passengers on verbal orders alone, after complaints about arbitrary stops at airports. The PTA, for its part, has drafted new verification rules for foreign SIM roaming, part of the same broader effort to tighten identity checks. The FIA is also pursuing a separate crackdown on online gambling and digital payments.
For families, the practical lesson from the case is plain. Genuine study and work routes run through official channels, and offers can be checked before money changes hands. Our guide to e-visa countries for Pakistani passport holders sets out which destinations offer a formal online route, and which still require an embassy application. (Source: Dawn)
Frequently asked questions
What did the Islamabad court decide on Monday?
Judicial Magistrate Zunaira Zafar gave police a five-day physical remand of the main suspect. Police had asked for ten days. The suspect must be produced in court again when the remand ends.
What is the suspect accused of?
Police and the FIA allege that he took money from a student’s family on the promise of US admission and employment for her brother, and then supplied fake travel documents, scholarship letters and receipts. The allegations are still under investigation.
How many cases have been registered?
Two. Police registered a case at Ramna police station under Sections 322 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIA registered a separate case, on a complaint by the student’s uncle, covering cheating, abetment and immigration-related fraud.
