A court in Islamabad has sentenced the prime suspect, Umar Hayat, to death in the murder case of social media influencer Sana Yousaf.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka delivered the reserved verdict, which also included a fine of Rs2 million against the convict, according to the court order.
Besides the death penalty, Hayat was handed a 10-year prison term for additional offences linked to the case.
During Monday’s hearing, the main accused, Umar Hayat, withdrew his earlier confession and rejected all charges related to the murder, describing the case as a “blind murder”. Hayat told the court he had no involvement in the incident and insisted that he was in Faisalabad when the killing took place.
He also criticised the investigation process, alleging that key evidence, including CCTV footage and witness testimonies, had not been properly presented before the court.
Questioning the identification parade, Hayat termed the process biased and inconsistent, while maintaining that he had been falsely implicated due to pressure generated on social media.
‘Justice has been served’
Following the hearing, the victim’s father, Yousaf, welcomed the court’s verdict and said the judiciary had upheld justice.
“We waited 11 months for this moment, and today it has finally come,” he told reporters, while expressing gratitude to the legal team and the media for their support.
He said the ruling carried importance beyond the family, adding that it served as a warning against such crimes in society.
The victim’s mother also commended the prosecution team for presenting what she called a strong case, saying she was satisfied to receive justice through the Pakistani courts.
Evidence presented in court
During proceedings in the district court, prosecutor Naveed Kiayani delivered his final arguments and outlined the evidence presented at trial.
According to the prosecution, 27 witnesses testified before the court, while medical reports and other documentary material were also placed on record. The prosecutor said the suspect was arrested a day after the murder and later underwent identification procedures.
Doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences also appeared before the court, with medical findings indicating that the victim sustained severe injuries caused by intentional gunfire. The court was also informed that investigators recovered the victim’s mobile phone, which helped trace the accused through linked contact details. Sana’s father later identified the device among the case property.
Call data records and screenshots of chats were also submitted as evidence connecting the accused to the case, while the judge ordered the recovered mobile phone to be produced before the court.
According to the prosecution, the accused had attempted to destroy evidence but was eventually traced through digital records and investigative leads. Eyewitnesses, the court heard, corroborated crucial details, including the identification of the accused along with descriptions of the weapon and clothing.
The prosecution further stated that the post-mortem examination, conducted late at night, supported its account of the incident.
Sana Yousaf was widely known on TikTok, where she had amassed more than 800,000 followers through lip-sync clips, skincare-related content, and beauty product promotions.
The influencer, who had recently celebrated her 17th birthday, had built a combined following of over one million across different social media platforms. She was shot dead at her residence in Islamabad on June 2, 2025.
