Event Summary
The tragic death of Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old Pakistani TikTok influencer, on June 2, 2025, has sparked widespread outrage and highlighted the persistent dangers faced by women in the public eye in Pakistan. she was born on June 2, 2008, in Upper Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she was a first-year medical student and a prominent social media personality. She gained popularity for her content promoting traditional Chitrali culture, women’s rights, and educational awareness, amassing over 740,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 500,000 on Instagram. Her vibrant personality and advocacy resonated with Pakistan’s Gen Z audience.
On the evening of her 17th birthday, Sana was at her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13/1 when she was approached by a person named Umar Hayat, also known as “Kaka.” According to reports, Hayat had been persistently contacting Sana, and after repeated rejections, he visited her home under the pretense of a guest. After a brief interaction, he shot her twice at close range, leading to her immediate death. Hayat fled the scene but was apprehended in Faisalabad within 24 hours. He confessed to the murder, citing repeated rejections as his motive.
The incident has been widely condemned by government officials, civil society, and the public. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi commended the swift action of law enforcement, while Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi described the suspect as a “cold-blooded murderer.” Women’s rights organizations, including the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), highlighted the case as a reflection of the violence women face in a patriarchal society. Her death underscores the urgent need for systemic changes to protect women from such atrocities and to challenge societal norms that perpetuate gender-based violence.