ISLAMABAD – The investigation into the suicide of 23-year-old Laiba Ejaz has taken a turn, as Islamabad police linked the prime suspect, Nauman, to an older fraud case in Mansehra involving alleged fake Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) recruitment letters.
Nauman, who is currently being interrogated on a five-day physical remand in connection with Laiba’s death, had also been declared a proclaimed offender in Mansehra after allegedly failing to appear in a case involving a family that claimed it had paid millions of rupees to secure military and intelligence jobs for 12 people.
The revelations raised serious questions about the alleged use of false official identities, forged appointment letters and promises of government employment to extract money from vulnerable families.
Laiba was found hanging from a tree at a weekly market in Islamabad’s G-10 sector on October 9. According to police, she had apparently died by suicide after becoming distressed over an alleged financial fraud involving Rs5 million. Islamabad police allege that Nauman had taken the money from Laiba and her family by promising to secure her admission to a university in the United States. The documents provided to support the promise were later found to be fake, according to the police account.
During the investigation, officials reportedly uncovered information linking Nauman to a separate alleged recruitment scam in Mansehra, where a family claimed to have been cheated through promises of jobs in the Pakistan Army and the ISI.
The two cases involve different alleged victims, but both feature accusations of financial deception through promises supported by documents that were subsequently found to be fake.
Rs8.5Million for Army, ISI jobs
According to an FIR registered at Mansehra City police station, Nauman allegedly worked with his brother, Waqas Malik, and two other suspects to convince a family that they could secure appointments for 12 people in the Pakistan Army and the ISI.
The case relates to an alleged incident in July 2024, although FIR was registered on August 27, 2026, after a complaint to the District Police Officer (DPO) Mansehra.
The complainant, Sultan Muhammad, alleged that Nauman’s sister-in-law visited his home and told the family that Nauman had previously served with the Army’s Triple Three Brigade and was then working as an assistant director in the ISI. The claim allegedly helped establish the family’s confidence in the suspects.
According to the FIR, the family was subsequently assured that the suspects could use their influence and connections to secure appointments against specific vacancies in the Army and the intelligence agency. The complainant alleged that the suspects asked for some money as security, with the remaining amount to be paid after the appointments were secured.
After the family provided a list of 12 prospective candidates, payments were allegedly made through various bank accounts, including the account of Waqas Malik. FIR records approximately Rs8.5 million in transactions.
The alleged fraud came to light after the family received appointment letters dated December 3, 2024, according to the FIR. The documents purportedly related to appointments in the Pakistan Army and the ISI. The complainant said the family was later instructed to meet Nauman in Rawalpindi.
Nauman was reportedly unavailable when the victims arrived, and contact with the suspects eventually broke down. Amid suspicion, the family travelled to Chaklala Cantonment in Rawalpindi to verify the appointment letters.
According to the FIR, the family was informed that the documents were fake. The complainant subsequently alleged that the suspects had deliberately deceived the family through a planned scheme. Investigators reportedly received transaction records, Easypaisa details, bank-account information, WhatsApp conversations and copies of the allegedly forged appointment letters as part of the evidence.
The incident reportedly occurred in July 2024, but the FIR was not registered until August 27, 2026. Sultan Muhammad said the family initially tried to recover its money directly from the suspects.
Laiba Ijaz Case: Islamabad Police Get Five-Day Remand of Suspect