An Islamabad court on Tuesday handed down the death penalty to Umar Hayat, the primary accused in the murder of social media influencer and TikTok personality Sana Yousuf, after an extensive trial.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka delivered the verdict in open court, officially convicting Umar Hayat in the high-profile case. Last year, Umar Hayat, who is the son of a retired government official and also a TikToker, had admitted before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that he was responsible for shooting Sana Yousuf.
Sana Yousuf was fatally shot at her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13 on June 2, 2025. Authorities apprehended Umar Hayat in Faisalabad within 20 hours of the incident and recovered the weapon believed to have been used in the murder.
Investigations revealed that the accused had repeatedly tried to contact Sana Yousuf and allegedly committed the attack after she refused his advances. Earlier, the Islamabad High Court dismissed Umar Hayat’s petition seeking to transfer the trial to a different court, ordering that the proceedings remain under the jurisdiction of the same judge.
In a significant development, IHC Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar rejected the petition filed by Umar Hayat, who had expressed distrust in the trial court and requested the case be moved to another bench. The court confirmed that the trial would continue before Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka.
The murder of Sana Yousuf had ignited widespread discussions about online safety and the risks faced by social media figures. This ruling marks a crucial step in addressing violence against digital content creators.
