An Islamabad court on Monday finalized the cross-examination of 25 prosecution witnesses in the ongoing murder trial of TikTok personality Sana Yousaf. The proceedings were overseen by Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka, with prosecutor Naveed Hussain and the complainant’s lawyer Sardar Qadeer present in court.
The defense counsel also completed the cross-examination of two additional witnesses, which included the owner and driver of the vehicle allegedly involved in the murder. Sana Yousaf was fatally shot at her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13 earlier last year, an incident that sparked nationwide outrage and extensive media coverage.
Following the conclusion of the cross-examinations, the court adjourned the case until May 12 to allow for further proceedings. In a significant development earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed a petition seeking the transfer of the trial. The petition, filed by the accused Umar Hayat, claimed a lack of confidence in the trial judge and requested the case be moved to another court.
Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar of the IHC rejected this plea, ordering that the trial continue in the same court. Sana Yousaf was killed on June 2, 2025, at her residence in Sector G-13. Police apprehended the accused within 20 hours in Faisalabad and recovered the suspected murder weapon.
Investigations revealed that the accused had repeatedly tried to contact the victim and allegedly carried out the attack after she refused to respond. The accused later confessed to the crime in a statement recorded under Section 164.
