How a Harvard dream ended in tragedy for a Pakistani family
A 24-year-old physics graduate dies after her family pays millions to a man who lied about getting her into university.
Islamabad, Pakistan – The sign above the Rana Malik Center, a dairy shop in Islamabad’s G-10 neighbourhood, advertises milk, fresh yoghurt, lassi and desi ghee. Rana Muhammad Ijaz has lived with his family in the apartment above for more than three decades.
Sitting outside his shop in late October, Ijaz recalled how his youngest daughter, Laiba, would make tea for him every morning and then again at night before bedtime.
Laiba Ijaz, 24, a physics gold medallist from the publicly funded International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), was found dead near her home on October 9.
The final file, handed over in late September, also contained a bank statement in Laiba’s name and an October 12 visa interview date, Ijaz said.