An Islamabad visa fraud suspect accused of defrauding a young student who allegedly died by suicide has been killed after being shot by his accomplices, according to the Islamabad police. The incident occurred on Tuesday within the jurisdiction of the Ramna police station and has added a violent turn to a case that had already drawn the attention of the country’s top leadership.
What Police Say Happened
According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, the suspect had shared information about another person linked to the case, and a police team was taking him to track that individual down. At that point, four of his accomplices, riding two motorcycles, allegedly “opened indiscriminate fire on the police party in an attempt to get the main suspect freed.”
The spokesperson said the suspect was injured in the firing, while the police team remained safe because of bulletproof jackets and protective measures. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries. Search operations are under way to arrest the remaining accomplices. The account is the police version of events, and no independent confirmation was available in the reports reviewed for this article.
Who Was the Islamabad Visa Fraud Suspect?
Dawn’s report did not name the suspect. Earlier reports in other outlets identified the prime suspect as Muhammad Noman. Those reports said he had allegedly presented himself as an influential person with a senior government position and had offered to arrange a United States study visa. According to sources cited by Geo, he had previously worked at the Anti-Corruption Establishment in Quetta, from where he was suspended, and investigators were examining allegations of his involvement in online fraud and the blackmail of women. These claims were attributed to sources and had not been tested in court.
The Case of Laiba Ijaz
The case centres on Laiba Ijaz, a student of International Islamic University Islamabad, who was said to have been defrauded of millions of rupees paid to move to the United States for further studies. An agent was accused of handing her fake travel documents. Reports differ on the sum involved, with figures of Rs5 million and Rs9.3 million cited by different outlets and sources.
The matter drew the government’s attention after her death. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the police to arrest the suspect, and the suspect and two female accomplices were later picked up in separate raids in the federal capital. An Islamabad court subsequently granted police a five-day physical remand of the suspect, and the same court granted interim bail to a co-suspect.
Two Cases, Two Investigations
Two separate cases have been registered. The first was lodged at the Ramna police station following Ijaz’s death, under Sections 322 (unintentional murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The second was registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a complaint filed by her maternal uncle, under provisions relating to cheating, abetment and immigration-related fraud.
According to the FIA, the main suspect allegedly obtained millions of rupees from the family with the help of a female accomplice, 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 United States. The suspect was also accused of giving her fake travel documents.
What Remains Unresolved
The suspect’s death raises practical questions for both investigations. With the main accused no longer available to face trial, the police and the FIA will have to rely on the remaining accomplices, financial records and forensic evidence to establish the full chain of events and the roles of others. The two women picked up in the earlier raids and the co-suspect granted interim bail remain part of the inquiry, and the search for the four men who allegedly opened fire continues.
Whether the circumstances of the shooting will be examined further has not been stated in the reports reviewed. For now, the account of the incident rests on the police spokesperson’s statement.
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