Pr Waqar Hssain
1. News of Laiba with Dates
On Friday, 9 October 2026, the body of 22-year-old Laiba Ijaz (also referred to as Aijaz or Ejaz), a gold medallist in physics from the International Islamic University Islamabad, was found hanging from a tree near the G-10 Sunday Market in Islamabad. She and her family had been defrauded of approximately Rs 7–9.3 million by Muhammad Nauman, who posed as a Supreme Court or judicial employee, along with an accomplice named Fatima Sarwar. The suspects provided fake Harvard University admission and scholarship documents. The fraud came to light when the papers were verified and rejected at the US Embassy. The FIA registered a case on 10 October, and the main suspects were arrested. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the matter, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later visited the family.013
2. Two Ways of Thinking: Maximiser and Minimiser
Successes and failures both come in life. Good people appear, and so do deceivers. When a major loss occurs, the crucial thing is that our reaction should not make the loss even larger.
Laiba had two paths in front of her. One was the path she chose — the money was already lost and her life also ended. The other path was to bear only the financial loss, remain alive, spare her parents permanent grief, and leave open the possibility that the money could be recovered or that she could move forward again through hard work.
When difficulty strikes, one should pause for a moment and think: if I do this, what will the outcome be, and if I do that, what will the outcome be? Sometimes one has to act as a maximiser (choosing the option that brings greater benefit) and sometimes as a minimiser (when both options involve loss, choosing the one with the smaller loss). Suicide never compensates for a loss; it only makes it bigger. If life is saved, money can be earned again, the pain of loss can ease, and possibilities of moving ahead remain. In death, all of that ends.
3. Latest Condition of Her Parents and Update
Laiba’s parents, including her father Muhammad Ijaz (a milk vendor who sold land, with his wife also pledging jewellery to support her education), are in deep grief. On Saturday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, along with Minister of State Talal Chaudhry and senior officials, visited the family home in G-10. They offered condolences, recited Fateha, and assured the family of full government support. The minister described the case as a priority and a test for the authorities, promising justice and that recovery of the money would also be pursued. Laiba’s father briefed the minister on the details, expressed confidence in the steps being taken, and advised other parents to carefully verify anyone offering overseas education or visa services. Police and the FIA continue investigating both the circumstances of her death and the fraud.252642
4. Conclusion
The fraud was cruel and the financial loss was real. Yet the additional step of suicide turned a recoverable setback into an irreversible tragedy for Laiba herself and a lifelong wound for her parents. When a setback arrives, the wiser course is to pause, weigh the two paths, and choose the one that keeps the damage smaller. Money can be replaced; a life cannot. Controlling the first rush of emotion and selecting the path of lesser harm leaves open the chance of recovery, justice, and whatever comes next. That is the practical difference between enlarging a tragedy and limiting it.
