Islamabad: In a tragic incident that has again raised concerns about the security of social media, a 17-year-old Tikker, Sana Yousaf, was shot to death inside his home in Islamabad’s sector G-13/1 Monday night.
The murder took place in the jurisdiction of the sumbal police and has shocked Netizens and Rights Attorneys.
Yousaf, which had over 740,000 followers on Tiktok, was allegedly alone with his aunt at the time of the incident.
Her father, a government officer, was out at work while her mother had stepped out into the market. Her 15-year-old brother is currently visiting their hometown of Chitral after completing her school exams. The family lived in the upper part of the house where the murder took place.
According to Aunt, the suspect had come to meet Yousaf and the two had a short exchange before the shooting. The aunt told police that she heard her niese say, “Go away from here. There are cameras all around. I will pick you up some water,” moments before the attack shot her twice in the chest.
Yousaf’s body was moved to Pim’s Hospital for a postmortem examination.
A case in accordance with section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered by her mother, who in FIR said she could identify the suspect in sight. The original investigations suggested that the defendants and the victim knew each other.
In a major development, the 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 recordings 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 after the crime and is currently being transported back to Islamabad for further investigation.
Police have also recovered murder weapons and clothing worn by the suspect at the time of the crime.
According to investigators, CCTV recordings caught Hayat, which went slowly after the shooting, apparently wrote on his phone before removing it and running. It looks like he was using a car to escape Islamabad via the highway.
While the suspect has been arrested and reportedly confessed, the motive behind the murder remains during investigation.
This incident increases a troubled trend involving female content creators that are targeted. In Khushab, a Tiktoker was recently murdered by his cousin.
Earlier this year, a female influencer was found dead in her home in Peshawar. In January, an American-born teenager was killed by his father in Quetta over his Tiktok content and lifestyle. Last year, a similar case was reported in Sialkot, where a brother killed her sister over her presence on social media.
Further updates are expected when police continue their investigation and the postmortem report will be completed.
