Death Penalty for Pakistani Influencer’s Killer

A Pakistani court sentenced a man to death on Tuesday for murdering a teenage influencer last year after she had repeatedly rejected his advances.

Sana Yousaf’s murder in June drew nationwide condemnation and reignited debate over women’s safety, after some online comments — alongside condolences — blamed her for her own death.

A judge announced to a cramped Islamabad courtroom on Tuesday afternoon that 22-year-old Umar Hayat was sentenced to death and fined $7,200.

“This verdict is a lesson for anyone who commits such acts, showing that they should never be repeated,” Yousaf’s father told journalists outside the courtroom, alongside her mother.

Hayat shot 17-year-old TikTok star Yousaf at her home in the capital after she repeatedly rejected him, according to police and the teenager’s family.

Yousaf had millions of followers on social media, where she posted videos about food, fashion and skincare.

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She also spoke openly about relationship problems, a topic still considered taboo in the Muslim majority country.

News of her killing triggered an outpouring of comments under her final post, a video celebrating her 17th birthday in which she blew out candles on a cake just days before her death.

Alongside condolence messages, some users blamed the teenager for her own murder, writing comments such as: “You reap what you sow” and “It’s deserved, she was tarnishing Islam”.

In her Instagram profile picture, she is smiling and holding sunflowers.