An Islamabad sessions court on Tuesday sentenced Umar Hayat to death in the murder case of TikToker Sana Yousaf. The verdict followed more than 50 court hearings and months of witness testimonies in the high-profile murder trial. The ruling matters because the case sparked nationwide debate about women’s safety and violence against social media personalities.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the reserved verdict and awarded the death penalty to the convict. The court also directed Hayat to pay Rs2 million compensation to Sana Yousaf’s family. Prosecutors said the accused entered the teenager’s house in Islamabad’s Sector G-13 on June 2, 2025. He allegedly shot the 17-year-old social media influencer dead inside her residence.
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According to court records, the prosecution submitted a charge sheet containing 31 witnesses during the trial. Moreover, 27 witnesses recorded statements before the court over several months of proceedings. Sana’s mother, Farzana Yousaf, and her paternal aunt testified as eyewitnesses to the incident. The court formally indicted Umar Hayat on September 20 last year.
Police arrested Hayat on June 3, 2025, one day after the killing shocked social media users nationwide. Investigators registered a murder case at Sumbal police station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Initially, the First Information Report named an unidentified suspect based on a complaint filed by Sana’s mother. Authorities later linked Hayat to the crime during the investigation.
Read more: Court records witness statement in Sana Yousaf murder case
Sana Yousaf had gained widespread popularity through her online content and growing social media audience. She had nearly 800,000 followers on TikTok and around 500,000 followers on Instagram before her death. The case attracted significant public attention and renewed discussions about online harassment and women’s security in Pakistan. Legal observers described the verdict as one of the country’s most closely watched recent criminal rulings.