Rejection, obsession, murder: what led to Pakistan TikTok star Sana Yousaf's killing
Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old TikTok star with over 8,00,000 followers, was shot dead in her house in Pakistan's Islamabad in what police are calling a "gruesome and cold-blooded" act driven by rejection and obsession.
Pakistani TikToker Sana Yousaf's followers were over a million across platforms, however, the rising digital influencer's life was cut short on Monday by a man who had been persistently contacting her online, according to an AFP news agency report.
Police say the suspect, a 22-year-old man, had loitered outside her house for hours before the attack, the report said.
'It was a case of repeated rejections. The boy was trying to reach out to her time and again,' Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi was quoted as saying at a press briefing.
'It was a gruesome and cold-blooded murder,' Rizvi added.
Sana Yousaf was popular for her lip-sync videos, skincare tips, and collaborations with beauty brands. Her final TikTok, posted just hours before her death, showed her cutting a cake to celebrate her 17th birthday.
In the wake of the killing, disturbing comments emerged on social media, with some users suggesting her murder was warranted due to her online presence—a sentiment rooted in the country's entrenched notions of "honour" and gender roles.
'You reap what you sow,' read one such comment.
Women's rights activist Nighat Dad condemned the backlash, saying such reactions normalise gender-based violence in Pakistan.
'The vile comments under news of Sana's murder aren't just hateful noise, they're part of a mindset that normalizes violence against women in Pakistan,' she said online, as per AFP.
Muniba Mazari, Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women Pakistan, wrote on X, Another day, another precious life taken for simply saying No! We all failed to protect a 17 year old vibrant girl who was creating joy for millions. #SanaYousaf You deserved better. We failed you!"
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has long warned about the prevalence of violence against women, especially in cases where men respond violently to rejected romantic or marriage proposals.
Sana Yousaf's killing has drawn parallels to past high-profile attacks, including the 2021 murder of Noor Mukadam and the 2016 stabbing of Khadija Siddiqui—both victims of rejected suitors.
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