Pakistan Court Sentences Man to Death for Murder of TikTok Star Sana Yousaf

A court in Pakistan has sentenced Umar Hayat to death for the 2025 murder of 17-year-old TikTok and Instagram influencer Sana Yousaf, who was killed at her Islamabad home on June 2, 2025, shortly after her 17th birthday, after she rejected his offer of friendship.

The Details

Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka handed down the death sentence on Monday, alongside a fine of Rs2 million and additional prison terms and fines under other charges, according to The News International. Prosecutors told the court they presented 27 witnesses as well as medical evidence, call records, chat screenshots, and other digital material linking Hayat to the killing. The prosecution built its case before the judge using witness testimony and forensic evidence.

Sana Yousaf was killed on June 2, 2025, shortly after her 17th birthday, at her home in Islamabad. The murder triggered nationwide condemnation and renewed debate over women's safety in Pakistan, according to CBS News and AFP. Yousaf had built a public following on TikTok and Instagram before her death.

Investigators arrested Hayat in Faisalabad within 20 hours of the killing after reviewing CCTV footage, Al Jazeera and Islamabad police reported. The Associated Press reported that Hayat was convicted for murdering Yousaf after she rejected his offer of friendship.

Accounts of the accused's age differ across reporting, with Al Jazeera describing him as 23 and CBS News / AFP describing him as 22.

Hayat's account of the events also conflicts with the prosecution narrative. The News International reported that Hayat retracted any confession, denied involvement, and claimed he was in Faisalabad at the time of the killing. A recorded statement cited by Dawn, referenced by Al Jazeera, said Hayat had previously confessed, describing obsession and events leading to the killing.

Outside court after the sentencing, Yousaf's father, Hassan Yousaf, told reporters: "This verdict is not just for me as an individual; it is for the entire society." He added: "We were waiting for this day for 11 months. The day has finally arrived." He also said, "This is a lesson for all such criminals in society that if they commit such an act, they can get such a result."

Context

Rights advocates say Yousaf's murder reflects a broader pattern of violence against women in Pakistan when women assert boundaries or reject men, according to Al Jazeera. The case drew scrutiny of misogyny, victim-blaming, and the risks faced by women building public audiences on TikTok and other platforms in Pakistan, CBS News and AFP reported. The killing intensified discussion about the specific dangers faced by young women with online visibility in the country, where rights advocates say violence against women remains a pressing concern.

Pakistan's Human Rights Commission recorded 346 women killed in the name of 'honour' in 2024, up from 324 in 2023, Al Jazeera reported.

What's Next

Hayat has denied involvement in the killing and retracted any confession, according to The News International, leaving the adjudicated conviction in place following Monday's sentencing. The case has renewed public debate over women's safety and the dangers faced by women with public online audiences in Pakistan.