&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistani TikTok star Sana Yousaf’s alleged killer formally charged in court")
The suspect behind the murder of Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old TikTok star in Pakistan, has been formally charged by a court in Islamabad. The suspect Umar Hayat, 22, had pleaded not guilty in Islamabad’s district court on Saturday. Sana Yousaf was shot dead allegedly by Hayat in June in the presence of her mother and aunt at her home in Islamabad after she rejected his advances repeatedly, police said. The TikTok star’s murder led to widespread condemnation and calls for enhancing women’s safety, especially after some online comments blamed the victim.
“All the allegations made against me are baseless and false,” Hayat told the Islamabad court. The police described Yousaf’s murder as a “gruesome and cold-blooded” act, saying Hayat killed Yousaf after she repeatedly rejected his proposals.
Hayat had completed only his matriculation and hailed from a lower-middle-income background with “no source of income”. Investigators said Hayat took Yousaf’s mobile phone with him after the shooting to possibly erase evidence.
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TikTok star Sana Yousaf advocated women’s education
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Sana Yousaf, 17, was a TikTok star with more than a million followers on social media. She was also an advocate for women’s education and cultural heritage and gained popularity for highlighting Chitrali culture.
Yousaf hailed from Upper Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was the daughter of a social activist. She often spoke about issues impacting her community, particularly those concerning young women. She also shared videos of her favourite cafes, skincare products and traditional outfits.
Sana Yousaf was shot from point-blank range
In the police complaint, Yousaf’s mother said the shooter barged into their Islamabad house at around 5 pm and shot Yousaf at point-blank range. She was struck by two bullets in the chest and did not survive even after she was rushed to the hospital.
Some social media posts suggested that Yousaf’s murder was justified in a society where honour codes dictate how women should behave. “You reap what you sow,” said one comment.
Violence against women is normal in Pakistani society, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting marriage proposals are not uncommon.
