A sessions court in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Tuesday sentenced Umar Hayat to death for the murder of 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf at her Islamabad home in June 2025. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka announced the verdict under Section 302(b) of the Pakistan Penal Code, which covers intentional murder.
Hayat, 23, was also handed a cumulative 21-year prison term and fines totaling Rs2.5 million for additional offenses linked to the case, including robbery and trespass. The death sentence remains subject to confirmation by the Islamabad High Court under Pakistan’s criminal procedure laws.
Sana Yousaf was shot dead inside her residence in Islamabad’s G-13 sector on June 2, 2025. Hayat was arrested within 20 hours from Faisalabad. Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi described the case as one stemming from repeated rejections, alleging that Hayat had developed a one-sided obsession with Yousaf through social media.
Prosecutor Naveed Kiayani told the court that 27 witnesses testified during the trial. Medical reports and documentary evidence were placed on record. Doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences appeared before the court, with findings indicating the victim sustained severe injuries caused by intentional gunfire. Investigators recovered Yousaf’s mobile phone, which was used to trace the accused through linked contact details. Call data records and chat screenshots were also submitted as evidence.
Hayat had recorded a confessional statement before a magistrate last year, admitting to shooting Yousaf. On Monday, a day before the verdict, he retracted that statement and described the case as a “blind murder.” He told the court he had no connection to the incident and claimed he was in Faisalabad at the time of the killing.
Speaking to journalists after the verdict, Yousaf’s father Syed Yousaf Hasan said the judiciary had delivered the sentence in line with justice. “We were waiting for this day for 11 months. The day has finally arrived,” he said, thanking the lawyers and the media for their support. He said the decision was a lesson that such acts could not go unpunished.
Yousaf’s mother, Farzana, said she had been served justice. She praised the prosecution team for presenting a strong case. “The culprit has been handed the right punishment,” she said.
Sana Yousaf was a social media personality with more than 800,000 followers on TikTok and over one million combined followers across other platforms. She was known for sharing videos of cafés, skincare routines, traditional outfits, and beauty product promotions. She had turned 17 a week before her death.
According to police, Hayat had traveled from Jaranwala to Islamabad on May 28 to wish Yousaf on her birthday. When she did not meet him, he became convinced she was avoiding him. Police said he returned to the capital on June 2 in a rented Toyota Fortuner carrying a 30-bore pistol. Farzana Yousaf told the court that a man entered the home at around 5 pm, fired two shots at her daughter, and fled with a pistol and Sana’s mobile phone.
The case had drawn international attention since June 2025 and prompted renewed public debate over women’s safety in Pakistan. Under Pakistan’s legal system, Hayat can challenge Tuesday’s verdict in a higher court.
