ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad sessions court sentenced Umar Hayat, the main accused in the Sana Yousaf murder case, to death on Monday.
Hayat was arrested by the Islamabad Police a day after 17-year-old TikTok influencer Yousaf was shot dead in her house on June 2, 2025. Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi had said the then-22-year-old culprit was arrested from Faisalabad and termed it a case of “repeated rejections”.
Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict in the case today, handing Hayat a death sentence, in addition to 10 years of imprisonment and Rs2 million fine.
Hayat was indicted by the court of Judge Majoka on September 20, where he had denied the charges made against him.
Last year, Hayat — son of a retired government official and a TikToker himself — had confessed before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that he shot Sana.
However, yesterday, he retracted his earlier confessional statement while testifying before the trial court.
In his previous statement, Hayat had admitted to developing a one-sided obsession with Yousaf after online interactions, and said jealousy and suspicion drove him to commit the crime.
Yousaf, a TikTok star with more than a million followers on social media platforms, was known for sharing videos of her favourite cafés, skincare routines, and traditional outfits.
Her killing drew nationwide condemnation and reignited debate over women’s safety in Pakistan.
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