Follow us on Whatsapp for the latest updates Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates

Man in Pakistan murders teen TikToker in her home

A young social media star from Pakistan was brutally murdered just days after celebrating her 17th birthday.

Sana Yousaf was inside her home in Islamabad on 2 June when her killer, who has been identified as 22-year-old Umar Hayat, broke in.

Source: @sanayousaf11 on TikTok

According to the BBC, Hayat — an unemployed man from Faisalabad, Punjab — has admitted to the murder.

Teen shot twice in the chest

According to police, Hayat had repeatedly tried to get in touch with Ms Yousaf, a popular TikToker who had more than 800,000 followers before her murder.

It is believed that the two had known each other for around a year.

Between 28 and 29 May, Hayat travelled to Islamabad to wish Ms Yousaf a happy birthday.

The pair reportedly spoke over the phone and agreed to meet on 2 June, but when Hayat arrived at her home, Ms Yousaf did not come out.

He then broke into her home to confront her.

An argument ensued, eventually leading to Hayat shooting the teen in the chest twice.

Caught by police within 20 hours

Before fleeing the home, Hayatthreatened the victim’s aunt and took Ms Yousaf’s phone with him.

Police believe he had done so to “destroy evidence”.

According to the BBC, Ms Yousaf succumbed to her injuries before she could reach the hospital.

After news of her murder broke, authorities launched a manhunt. They used footage from 113 CCTV cameras and raided multiple locations across Islamabad in search of the killer.

Screengrab of CCTV footage retrieved from The Express Tribune.

On 3 June, police announced they had found and arrested the suspect within 20 hours of the murder.

They were able to recover both the murder weapon and the victim’s stolen phone.

Strong reactions to the murder

According to CBS News, violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan. It is not uncommon for women to get attacked for rejecting marriage.

Ms Yousaf’s murder has captured public interest — with her TikTok account, which has 1.4 million followers at the time of writing, gaining thousands of followers after her death.

Her final upload is a montage of her and her friends on her birthday.

While many have offered their condolences, some netizens — mostly male — also took the opportunity to criticise the girl for her influencer content.

“They’re asking why she was putting up all this content, and even suggesting the family should take down her Instagram and TikTok accounts because they add to her ‘sins’,” said a digital rights activist.

Meanwhile, others say it is a sign of positive change that authorities are now publicly condemning incidents like these.

Ms Yousaf’s body has been buried in the Pakistani city of Chitral.

Also read: 23-year-old influencer in Mexico murdered during TikTok livestream at her salon

23-year-old influencer in Mexico murdered during TikTok livestream at her salon

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.