Pakistan court sentences man to death for murder of TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf

A court in Pakistan has sentenced Umar Hayat, 23, to death for murdering 17-year-old TikTok and Instagram influencer Sana Yousaf, a killing that reignited debate on women’s safety.

Tuesday’s verdict “is a lesson for all such criminals in society”, said Hassan Yousaf, the victim’s father, after the hearing.

“This verdict is not just for me as an individual; it is for the entire society. This is a lesson for all such criminals in society that if they commit such an act, they can get such a result,” he said outside the court in Islamabad.

Police arrested Hayat in Faisalabad, about 320km south of Islamabad, within 20 hours of the murder on June 2 last year.

Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi described the case as one of “repeated rejections”.

In a recorded statement in July, Hayat confessed to the crime, admitting to a one-sided obsession with Yousaf after online interactions, according to a Dawn report.

The statement said Hayat traveled to Islamabad between May 28 and 29 to wish Yousaf well on her birthday, but they could not meet for unspecified reasons; after she refused to meet him, he grew suspicious she was avoiding him.

Hayat and Yousaf then spoke by phone and agreed to meet on June 2; he rented a Toyota Fortuner and brought a 30-bore pistol.

When Hayat reached Yousaf’s home, she did not come out, but he managed to enter; an argument ensued that escalated into the murder, witnessed by her mother and aunt.

In a later statement, the killer denied the sequence, claiming the two never quarrelled or had contact.

In recent years, several young women in Pakistan have been victims of violent crimes by men they know, many with a social media presence on platforms like TikTok.

Experts say Yousaf’s murder is not an isolated case but part of a wider misogynistic culture where women are punished for their independence and visibility.

“When young women assert boundaries or say no to romantic or sexual advances, it bruises the male ego, especially in a society that teaches men entitlement over women’s bodies and choices,” said Nighat Dad, executive director of the Digital Rights Foundation. “This entitlement, when left unchecked by law, culture, and platforms, turns deadly.”

In all, 346 women in Pakistan were killed in 2024 in the name of “honour”, up from 324 in 2023, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.