A Gold Medal Should Not Cost A Life
Asem Mustafa Awan
Islamabad: A gold medal should open doors to a brighter future. For Laiba Ijaz, a physics graduate of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), it represented years of hard work and the promise of further education in the United States.
Instead, her dream ended in tragedy after she was allegedly defrauded by an education consultant. Her death has exposed the vulnerability of families who risk their savings to secure opportunities for their children.
Laiba’s family reportedly paid millions of rupees for a promised route to study abroad. Her father sold a plot of land, while her mother’s jewellery helped raise the money. The family believed the consultant could arrange admission and travel documents.
When the documents allegedly proved fake, the money was gone and Laiba’s future collapsed. A suspect has been arrested, but the allegations must be established through investigation and due process.
An arrest cannot answer the larger question. How can families be protected when people entrusted with arranging educational opportunities allegedly turn ambition into an instrument of fraud?
For many Pakistani households, foreign education is a family project built on years of sacrifice. Parents sell land, livestock or jewellery, borrow from relatives and sometimes spend money reserved for emergencies. They regard education as an investment that may lift the next generation beyond their financial limitations.
A fraudulent promise can destroy much more than a bank balance. It can erase years of effort and leave a young person facing the collapse of a carefully planned future.
The first responsibility lies with the state. Education and immigration consultancy must operate under an effective regulatory framework. Families should be able to check whether a consultant is authorised, verify credentials and review complaints before handing over money. An impressive office or polished advertisement is not proof of legitimacy.
A public registry of approved consultants, accessible online and regularly updated, would be a practical starting point. It should explain the services each consultant may provide and how complaints can be lodged.
Clear rules must govern written agreements, charges, receipts, refunds and the handling of applicants’ documents. Those operating unlawfully must face meaningful penalties, while genuine businesses should be protected through transparent procedures.
Verification must also become easier. Universities should offer accessible channels for confirming admission letters, scholarship awards and fee receipts directly. Students should pay through official university channels rather than rely solely on an intermediary’s assurances.
The Higher Education Commission and relevant agencies should raise awareness of warning signs, including guaranteed visas, fabricated scholarships and demands for urgent cash payments.
The Federal Investigation Agency and other authorities need the capacity to respond before fraudulent schemes spread. Complaints should be recorded, evidence preserved and suspicious patterns investigated promptly. When several families report similar conduct, authorities should examine possible links rather than treat every complaint as an isolated dispute.
Coordination among police, financial institutions, universities and immigration authorities could help trace payments, identify forged documents and prevent further victims.
Justice must also address the families who have already lost money. They need clear information about reporting procedures, investigation progress and possible recovery of funds. Asset tracing and lawful recovery should be pursued where evidence permits.
Public warnings can protect other applicants, provided authorities distinguish substantiated findings from unverified accusations. Accountability must be firm and lawful.
Regulation alone, however, cannot address the anxiety driving many young Pakistanis to look abroad. Foreign education can develop skills and create valuable international connections. Wanting to study overseas does not mean rejecting one’s country. The concern arises when young people believe their qualifications and hard work will have little value unless they leave.
Pakistan must confront the conditions feeding this perception. Students need credible educational pathways, research opportunities, merit-based recruitment and a reasonable chance to build secure lives after graduation.
Universities must connect learning with employment, while institutions should reward competence rather than connections. No country can guarantee every graduate success, but it can give talent a fair chance to flourish.
The weakening rupee adds another burden. Foreign tuition, travel and living costs can consume years of family savings. Those struggling with rising expenses may feel compelled to seize an apparent opportunity before it disappears.
Such urgency can make them vulnerable to people promising certainty in a process no private consultant controls. Public education must make one point clear: no adviser can legitimately guarantee a visa decision made by a foreign government.
Laiba’s tragedy should not be reduced to a warning that parents must be more careful. Families should verify claims, retain receipts and contact universities directly. Pakistan Zindabad means “Long Live Pakistan.”
Yet the bitter phrase “Pakistan se zinda bhaag” — run away from Pakistan while you are still alive — captures the frustration of people who see departure as their only route to opportunity. It should trouble policymakers, not because every young person must remain at home, but because leaving should be a choice rather than an act of desperation.
A gold medal is evidence of achievement, not a licence to exploit ambition. Laiba’s death cannot be undone, and no reform can erase her family’s grief. But her case can compel institutions to close loopholes, strengthen protections and make justice accessible.
Asem Mustafa Awan has extensive reporting experience with leading national and international media organizations. He has also contributed to reference books such as the Alpine Journal and the American Alpine Journal, among other international publications.
The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.
