Killer of Pakistani TikTok star sentenced to death: Who was 17-year-old Sana Yousaf?

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

2 min readMay 20, 2026 02:36 PM IST

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A court in Pakistan has sentenced a man to death over the murder of Sana Yousaf, a young Pakistani social media influencer, that sparked uproar across the country.

Umar Hayat broke into the home of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf in June last year after she rejected his repeated advances, and shot her dead, reported the BBC.

Hayat, 23, who has confessed to his crime, claimed that he had developed a one-sided obsession with Yousaf after some interactions online.

Sana Yousaf was a content creator who rose to prominence through her TikTok and Instagram videos, showcasing the culture and traditions of Chitral, a mountainous region in northern Pakistan. Known for her cheerful personality and modern yet culturally rooted content, Sana attracted a large youth audience online.

According to BBC News, the incident that shocked Pakistan and sparked national debate over women’s safety and online harassment. Police later arrested a suspect and described the killing as a targeted attack following repeated attempts by the accused to contact her.

Rising popularity on social media

Dawn reported that Sana belonged to Upper Chitral and was admired for promoting regional identity through digital media. Her videos often featured traditional Chitrali dresses, local music, and everyday lifestyle moments that resonated strongly with young viewers. Dawn noted that she represented a growing number of Pakistani women using social media platforms to build careers and public identities despite conservative social pressures. Following her death, many Pakistani celebrities, activists, and internet users demanded stronger protections for women both online and offline.

According to Al Jazeera, Sana Yousaf had become one of the emerging Gen Z digital voices in Pakistan before her murder drew international attention. The report said her death reopened conversations around misogyny, cyberstalking, and violence against women in South Asia.

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Many social media users remembered her not only as a content creator but also as a symbol of confidence and self-expression for young Pakistani girls navigating the online world.

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