Teen TikTok star shot dead after man broke into her home
Authorities say they believe Umar Hayat murdered Ms Yousaf at her home in Islamabad on Monday after she rejected what they called his "offers of friendship". He allegedly also repeatedly tried and failed, to meet her.
They say he broke into her home, fired two shots, stole her phone and fled.
Ms Yousaf's father, Syed Yousaf Hassan, told the BBC she was his only daughter and was "very brave". Her family have gathered in Chitral, where Ms Yousaf has been buried.
Yousaf said she had never mentioned Hayat, nor any threatening behavior, before she was killed.
He said Ms Yousaf's aunt was at the family home when the suspect broke in, and that he had also threatened to shoot her before fleeing.
Ms Yousaf died before she could be taken to the hospital.
Police said the "brutal" murder caused "a wave of concern" across the country, and that there was "immense" pressure to find the killer.
They raided locations across the capital and the province of Punjab and scanned footage from 113 CCTV cameras.
The suspected murder weapon and Ms Yousaf's phone have since been recovered.
Ms Yousaf already had a wide following in Pakistan, with half a million fans on Instagram before her death. Condolences have flooded her social media pages.
Her TikTok account gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight, and now stands at more than a million.
Her last video on Instagram, posted last week, showed her surrounded by balloons and cutting a cake for her birthday.
Given her high profile in Pakistan, news of Ms Yousaf's death spread quickly in local news media and on social media platforms. It's also ignited a fierce debate about women on social media.
While many have shared their outrage at news of Ms Yousaf's death, there has also been backlash towards her work as an influencer.
Digital rights advocacy group Bolo Bhi has been monitoring the online reaction, and its director Usama Khilji said such criticism had been coming from a small portion of mostly male internet users - some of whom have cited religious grounds.
"They're asking why she was putting up all this content, and even suggesting the family should take down her Instagram and TikTok accounts because they add to her 'sins'," Mr Khilji explained.
Dr Farzana Bari, a prominent human rights activist, argued the reaction is "misogynistic" and "patriarchal".
She said Ms Yousaf had "her own voice", and that the discourse online is a reminder that social media has become a "very threatening place for female content creators" in Pakistan.
The Inspector General of Police for Islamabad, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, said women who choose to become social media influencers "deserve our encouragement and support". He added Ms Yousaf's murder was "tragic".
Dr Bari said authorities condemning the incident publicly was a positive sign that could lead to change.
The arrested suspect is the son of a former public servant. He is from the town of Faisalabad, in the province of Punjab, according to police. — BBC
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
Bella Hadid gets nostalgic as she advocates for Palestine
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid sent social media fluttering over the weekend when she shared a heartwarming carousel of rare childhood photos on Instagram. The 28‑year‑old delighted fans with snapshots from her early years. The series of images begins with Hadid dressed as a young cowgirl, sporting a straw hat and boots on what appears to be a farm-themed outing. A post shared by Bella (@bellahadid) In the carousel caption, Hadid referred to her 'inner baby bels,' adding, 'Huggin her today. Smiliest & happiest kid. Hated the camera. Has anything changed!? 'Oh and most importantly….in case you forgot…. FREE PALESTINE!!!!!! I know this little fire cracker would have been screaming it from the rooftops,' she added. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Hadid collaborated with Chopard as the brand shared new campaign images of the supermodel wearing pieces from its high jewelry collection ahead of Paris Couture Week. In one of the images, Hadid wears a diamond necklace featuring a large yellow gemstone at its center. In another, she wears a coordinated jewelry set consisting of sapphire and diamond drop earrings, a matching necklace, and a statement ring. '@BellaHadid embodies the essence of High Jewelery — radiant, refined, unforgettable. A tribute to timeless glamor ahead of Paris Couture Week,' the brand wrote on Instagram. The model's collaboration with Chopard began in 2017 when she became one of the faces of the brand's high jewelry collections. Since then, she has appeared in several campaigns and has worn Chopard pieces at major international events, including the Cannes Film Festival, Met Gala, and Paris Fashion Week. Hadid has had a busy summer. In June, with the help of close friends, she expanded her beauty brand Orebella with a range of accessories. The model and entrepreneur teamed up with Wildflower Cases co-founders Sydney and Devon Lee Carlson to launch a limited-edition collaboration featuring two new products: an iPhone case and a 'scentable wristlet.' Hadid took to Instagram to announce the launch, writing: 'Feeling like the luckiest girl in the world to be able to be creative with my beauty boss sisters. Life is beautiful when we have the opportunity to watch our friends winning. So proud of you two. So proud of our teams. So proud of us. Love you all — thank you for bringing this vision to life.'
Arab News
16 hours ago
- Arab News
The Times, major media organizations pressure Israel to lift Gaza reporting restrictions
LONDON: The Times and several major international news outlets renewed calls over the weekend for Israel to lift its ban on journalist access and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, amid mounting concerns over the enclave's deepening hunger crisis. 'Reporting from any conflict zone is a risky and brave pursuit that ultimately performs a global public service,' Philip Pan, the international editor of The Times, said in a statement on Sunday. 'Adding the threat of food deprivation and even starvation to these risks is deeply concerning.' Humanitarian organizations and global leaders have warned of Gaza's escalating food crisis, which has led to dozens of hunger-related deaths in recent weeks. Local Palestinian journalists, who have been reporting tirelessly since the conflict escalated 21 months ago, are also being affected by severe food shortages. Pan noted that Times reporters in Gaza 'face difficulty finding food and ensuring safe freedom of movement in order to do their jobs.' Last week, AFP, Reuters, AP, and the BBC issued a joint statement warning that their journalists in Gaza are at risk of starvation. The statement urged Israel to allow journalists to freely enter and exit the enclave and to ensure adequate food supplies are delivered. 'For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza,' the statement read. 'They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.' In a similar move, dozens of members of the International News Safety Institute, a nonprofit press freedom group, released a statement on Friday calling on Israel to allow journalists at risk in Gaza to leave the territory, and for international reporters to be granted entry. Signatories included The Washington Post, Financial Times, and The Guardian. 'Israel must allow other journalists into Gaza,' the statement said. 'Nearly two years into the war, no international media have been permitted to independently enter. As local reporters are killed, face the threat of starvation, or try to flee, the world will be systematically cut off from witnessing what is happening. This cannot be allowed to happen.' Since the start of its military campaign in Gaza, Israel has maintained tight restrictions on press access, placing what media organizations describe as an 'immense burden' on local reporters working amid chronic shortages of electricity, internet, food, and medical supplies. Israeli authorities have consistently cited security concerns to justify the ban, arguing that opening access could endanger journalists or disrupt military operations. While a limited number of foreign journalists have been allowed into Gaza under Israeli army escort, press advocates argue such visits offer only tightly controlled and one-sided coverage. Human rights and press freedom groups warn that the blockade on independent journalism appears to be a calculated effort to suppress the flow of information and obstruct the documentation of alleged war crimes that could be used against Israel in international legal proceedings. Organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International have documented multiple cases of Palestinian journalists being directly targeted. These, they say, could amount to war crimes under international law. On Monday, Israeli human rights organizations B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights accused the government of committing genocide in Gaza, citing repeated attacks on civilians based solely on their Palestinian identity. Since May, CPJ has tracked the growing toll of extreme hunger on journalists in Gaza, including reports of fainting, exhaustion, cognitive impairment, and other symptoms. Medical professionals are reportedly experiencing the same conditions. Sara Qudah, CPJ's regional director, said Israel was 'starving Gazan journalists into silence' and urged the international community to intervene. 'The world must act now: protect them, feed them, and allow them to recover while other journalists step in to help report,' she said. On Sunday, Israel announced a pause in military operations in parts of Gaza to allow the delivery of international aid amid rising global outrage. However, aid agencies said the measures fell short of addressing the escalating humanitarian emergency.
Saudi Gazette
19 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Five killed in Bangkok market mass shooting
BANGKOK — Five people were killed in a mass shooting at a food market in Bangkok on Monday. The suspect in the attack at Or Tor Kor Market died after taking his own life, police in Thailand's capital confirmed. Four of those who were killed were security guards and the fifth victim worked at the market. Two other market sellers were injured, police said. Police Lieutenant Siam Boonsom told local media that the gunman was Thai and he had disputes with the market's security guards before. He also told reporters the shooting incident was unrelated to Thailand's ongoing conflict with Cambodia. The Or Tor Kor market is well known for high quality fresh fruit and ownership rates in Thailand are relatively high for the region and mass shooting incidents are not common, but the country has seen several deadly incidents in recent 2023, a 14-year-old boy killed two people and injured five others in a shooting at a luxury shopping mall in the centre of ex-policeman killed at least 37 people, most of them children, in a gun and knife attack at a childcare centre in in Nong Bua Lamphu province in north-east Thailand in October 2020, a soldier killed 29 people and injured dozens more in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. — BBC
