The accused, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, was arrested within 20 hours of the incident in Faisalabad and has reportedly confessed to the murder
Seventeen-year-old Pakistani influencer Sana Yousaf was fatally shot inside her home in Islamabad on June 2, 2025, in what police describe as a targeted killing by a man she had repeatedly rejected.
The accused, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, was arrested within 20 hours of the incident in Faisalabad and has reportedly confessed to the murder.
According to officials, Hayat had been pursuing Sana for weeks. After multiple rejections and being blocked by her, he arrived at her residence in Sector G-13, waited outside for hours, then entered and shot her twice in the presence of her mother and aunt. Sana was rushed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, but succumbed to her injuries. A first-year medical student originally from Chitral, Sana had built a large following online — with over 800,000 TikTok followers — known for content that championed women’s rights, Chitrali culture, and youth empowerment.
The murder has reignited conversations around gendered violence in Pakistan, particularly the dangers faced by young women who assert boundaries. Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, confirmed that Hayat had been enraged by her rejections and explicitly stated this as his motive.
While Sana’s killing has drawn widespread condemnation, what’s equally alarming is a wave of online celebration from some users, praising the murderer and blaming Sana for her social media presence. Hashtags calling for justice have trended alongside deeply misogynistic commentary, exposing the extent of toxic masculinity in digital spaces.
