The tragic death of Laiba Ijaz, a gold medallist graduate of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), has shaken the nation to its core. Police sources revealed on Monday that the prime suspect in her case, Muhammad Noman, allegedly used ChatGPT to impersonate a woman and her brother, deceiving Laiba with false promises of a US visa. This cold-blooded fraud, which pushed a brilliant young Pakistani woman to her death, must be met with the full force of justice.
Laiba, who had completed her BS degree from IIUI with distinction, dreamt of pursuing higher studies in the United States. Her family alleges that Noman defrauded her on the pretext of arranging admission to a US university, handing her fake documents that shattered her hopes. Her body was found hanging by the roadside in Islamabad's G-10 sector on Friday, October 9, after she discovered the documents were fraudulent. Police confirmed she was under severe mental stress following the alleged scam.
How did the suspect use ChatGPT to defraud Laiba?
According to police sources, Noman first contacted Laiba in March 2023 when she applied for an internship at an insurance company where he worked. Although she could not join the office due to her tutoring commitments, he later hired Laiba, her sister, and her mother to advertise a tuck shop managed by a woman named Aiza, whose brother lived in the United States. When Laiba sought Noman's help in obtaining a US visa, he allegedly assured her he could arrange it through Aiza's brother.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Noman created another online account posing as Aiza and used ChatGPT to impersonate her and her brother during conversations with Laiba. He sent her documents that appeared genuine, but she grew suspicious after he repeatedly changed her visa interview date, first to September 1, then September 17, and finally September 26. Upon checking, she discovered the documents were fake.
What did Laiba give the suspect, and what happened next?
Laiba had given Noman Rs2.1 million, obtained by her father from the sale of a plot, along with jewellery belonging to her stepmother. Under pressure to return the jewellery, she asked him to give it back first, saying the remaining money could be dealt with later. Noman subsequently began ignoring her and cut off all contact, leaving her devastated and desperate.
Could there be more victims of this fraud?
Police suspect that Noman may have defrauded other women as well. Investigators said he had deleted data from his mobile phone before his arrest and plan to conduct a forensic examination to recover the data and identify potential additional victims. The suspect, arrested from Islamabad's H-13 sector, was handed over to police on a five-day physical remand by a judicial magistrate for further investigation.
What is the broader concern about AI misuse in Pakistan?
This case follows two other reported incidents involving AI chatbots in Pakistan. In Bahawalpur, a 17-year-old student was arrested over an alleged attempt to poison his father, with investigators saying he had used an AI chatbot to seek information about poison. In Karachi, authorities investigated another 17-year-old over alleged murder-related conversations with an AI chatbot, though he denied plotting a murder and no offence had been established at the time of reporting.
Our beloved Pakistan must remain vigilant against such misuse of technology. The blood of Laiba, a daughter of this soil, demands that the perpetrators face exemplary punishment. May Allah grant her the highest rank in Jannah and give her family the strength to bear this irreparable loss. We stand with the forces of justice in ensuring that no other Pakistani daughter suffers such a fate.