ISLAMABAD: A 17-year-old TikToker, Sana Yousaf, was shot dead inside her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13/1 on Monday evening, re-igniting concerns over the safety of social media influencers.
The brutal murder, occurring within the jurisdiction of the Sumbal police station, has sent shockwaves through the online community and prompted calls for greater protection for public figures.
Yousaf, who boasted a significant following of over 740,000 on TikTok, was reportedly at home with only her aunt when the assailant struck.
Her father, a government officer, was at work, while her mother had gone to the market. Her 15-year-old brother is currently visiting their hometown of Chitral after completing his school examinations. The family resided in the upper portion of the house where the fatal shooting took place.
According to the aunt’s chilling account to police, the suspect had come to meet Yousaf. She overheard a brief exchange between the two, moments before the gunfire.
The aunt recalled hearing her niece say, “Go away from here. There are cameras all around. I will fetch you some water,” just before the assailant fired two shots into Yousaf’s chest, leading to her immediate death.
Yousaf’s body was moved to PIMS Hospital for a postmortem examination.
A case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered by her mother, who stated in the FIR that she could identify the suspect on sight. Initial investigations suggested that the accused and the victim knew each other.
In a major development, Islamabad Police arrested the suspect, identified as Umar Hayat — also known by his nickname “Kaka” — in Faisalabad just 20 hours after the crime.
Sources revealed that the arrest was made possible through a combination of CCTV footage and modern technology, including mobile data analysis.
Hayat, who is 22–23 years old and also a TikToker, has confessed to the murder. He claimed to be a friend of the victim. Authorities confirmed that Hayat fled to Faisalabad following the crime and is currently being transported back to Islamabad for further investigation.
Police have also recovered the murder weapon and the clothes worn by the suspect at the time of the crime.
According to investigators, CCTV footage captured Hayat walking slowly after the shooting, apparently typing on his phone before putting it away and running. It appears he used a car to escape Islamabad via the motorway.
While the suspect has been apprehended and has reportedly confessed, the motive behind the murder remains under investigation.
This incident adds to a troubling trend involving female content creators being targeted. In Khushab, a TikToker was recently murdered by her cousin.
Earlier this year, a female influencer was found dead in her home in Peshawar. In January, a US-born teenager was killed by her father in Quetta over her TikTok content and lifestyle. Last year, a similar case was reported in Sialkot, where a brother killed his sister over her social media presence.
Further updates are expected as police continue their investigation and the postmortem report is finalised.
