Social media reactions to TikToker Sana Yousaf's murder raise concerns
Listen to article
The killing of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf in Islamabad's G-13 Sector on Monday has drawn significant attention, not only due to the crime itself but also because of responses on social media.
An innocent 17 year old girl has been murdered, and our disgraceful society is celebrating it, Lanti Bagharit Log. Arrest all of them. #SanaYousaf #JusticeForSanaYousaf pic.twitter.com/RzZOnHEYmO — Asif Usman (@AsifUsman20) June 2, 2025
While many expressed shock and sadness over her tragic death, some online reactions have sparked controversy.
An innocent 17 year old girl has been murdered, and our disgraceful society is celebrating it, Lanti Bagharit Log. Arrest all of them. #SanaYousaf #JusticeForSanaYousaf pic.twitter.com/RzZOnHEYmO — Asif Usman (@AsifUsman20) June 2, 2025
Some social media users criticised Sana over her TikTok use and even went as far as to express support for the act of violence.
ان حرام زادون کو گرفتار کرنا چاہٸے ایک معصوم انسان کی جان لینے پہ یہ حرام زادے خوش ہو رہے ہین ۔#sanayousaf pic.twitter.com/P4C5jDGneu — IrfanAli (@IrfanAlyyyy) June 2, 2025
Sana, originally from Chitral, was shot at close range inside her home by an unidentified assailant. Police have suggested that the suspect may have been a guest at her house at the time of the incident.
The investigation is ongoing, with the suspect reportedly arrested.
The responses on social media, with some users expressing praise for the killer, have raised concerns.
یہ ذہنی مریض اور ذہنی مفلوج لوگ ہیں جو خد تو زندگی میں کچھ کرنا سکے اور دوسروں کی ترقی ان سے برداشت نہیں ہوتی
میرا نہیں خیال کہ اس لڑکی نے کبھی کوئ غلط ویڈیو پوسٹ کی ہو۔
ایسے ذہنی مریضوں سے ہر عام انسان کو بچنے کی ضرورت ہے#justiceforsana#islamabad#SanaYousaf#sanayousaf pic.twitter.com/26T8d9m1zc — Zain ul Abideen Lehri ⚖️ (@ZAINI_3) June 2, 2025
Many others, however, have condemned these reactions, urging authorities to take appropriate action against those encouraging violence.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
9 hours ago
- Business Recorder
A society in moral freefall
EDITORIAL: Another day in Pakistan: another young woman silenced by the brutal hands of male violence. The tragedy that befell 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf in Islamabad on June 2 is a harrowing reminder of how women's lives remain expendable in a society that refuses to confront its deep-rooted misogyny or dismantle the structures that allow such violence to thrive. According to details provided by Islamabad police, a 22-year-old man from Faisalabad, Umar Hayat, was arrested within hours of the murder coming to light through the help of CCTV footage from the vicinity of the victim's home and geo-fencing technology that helped trace his location. The Islamabad police chief tied the killing to the suspect persistently attempting to befriend Yousaf over several months, advances she repeatedly rejected. The alleged culprit's violent reaction to rejection exposes a warped mindset: one that fails to grasp the concepts of consent and female agency, and views women's autonomy as an affront. It reflects a society where too many men are raised to see dominance as their birthright and 'no' as a challenge to be crushed. This begs the question: how many more lives must be lost before Pakistani society finally breaks this cycle of entitlement that turns male fragility into female fatalities? As reprehensible as Yousaf's murder was, its aftermath revealed an even deeper societal sickness. Social media became a cesspool of victim-blaming, with young men justifying, and even celebrating the killing, twisting the victim's social media presence into some perverse justification for her violent end. It was a grotesque display of how violence against women has been normalised, where any female defying patriarchal boundaries is seen as 'asking for it'. That such depraved rhetoric flows so freely exposes how profoundly broken our moral compass is, with yet another generation of boys being radicalised into viewing women's lives as disposable. While the police did well to apprehend the alleged culprit in quick time, this moment demands more than just efficient policing. It requires the authorities to apply the country's cybercrime statutes — which they were so eager to foist upon the public — against their most legitimate targets: the digital lynch mobs treating a 17-year-old child's murder as cause for celebration. If cybercrime regulations can be deployed so fervently to silence political dissent, surely they can be used to prosecute those cheering and inciting violence against women. The fact is that true societal change — the dismantling of toxic patriarchal norms — will take years of education and awareness. But we cannot wait for that distant evolution while women's lives hang in the balance. The law must act now to punish not just physical violence, but also the online hate that fuels it. Let these tools, so often misused, finally serve what their true purpose should have always been, i.e., protecting the vulnerable. Recent days have revealed a damning portrait of our decay: child marriage bans spark protests, while dead women are posthumously tried for their own murders. Real change will require a dual reckoning — swift justice for both perpetrators of violence against women and their online enablers, along with an educational overhaul to reshape how young boys perceive women's autonomy so that this rot is rooted out before it takes hold in another generation. The alternative is tacitly endorsing the next murder of a girl who simply tried living on her own terms. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'We will not forget you'
It has happened again. There are no words that can fully convey the raw horror of the senseless murder of 17-year-old influencer Sana Yousaf. On Monday evening, a girl on the brink of adulthood embracing the promise of all the milestones her eighteenth year would bring, was gunned down in her home on what should have been a birthday celebration. Why? As revealed by video press conferences from investigating officers, the shocking – but paradoxically unsurprising – answer is rooted in rejection. Sana's fresh-faced youthful perkiness lit up the screens of her over a million followers across both TikTok and Instagram combined. Along the way, this young influencer crossed paths with a man she had no interest in meeting. Ill equipped to deal with a 'no', that man broke into Sana's home on her 17th birthday. We all know what happened next. Mahira, Sajal take to IG Vocal showbiz A-listers with a keen finger on the pulse for justice rose united in horror across Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to condemn this latest instance of gender-based violence – made all the more horrific by Sana's age and the cruel irony of her murder coinciding with her birthday. Mahira Khan, taking a horrified pause from promoting her upcoming Eidul Azha film Love Guru, wrote on Instagram Stories, "Can't get myself to stop thinking about Sana Yousaf. A 17-year-old beautiful girl. She had just blown out candles, made wishes, maybe danced a little. And then in seconds gone. Shot dead. Over a bloody 'No'." Digging to the rotten core of a society where a feminine rejection can lead to murder, the Maula Jatt star continued, "But is it really about one moment? One second? One word? It's not. It's the system. The way we've raised men to believe they are owed something – attention, affection, obedience. The way we fail, again and again, to protect the girls who dare to have a voice, a choice." As with any incidence of female murder, misogynist comments across Facebook under the news of Sana's murder ranged from "Yes, every female TikTokker deserves this" to "These TikTokkers advertising their stupidity make people leave Islam." With such fuel for the fire, Mahira was far from the only Pakistani star making public her disgust and despair over Sana's tragic murder as fellow actor Sajal Ali also turned to IG Stories to register her horror. "A girl lost her life simply for saying no. What kind of world are we living in?" wrote the Dil Wali Gali Mein star under the banner of the haunting hashtag #JusticeForSanaYousaf. "The lack of empathy is terrifying. I just hope that we, as a society, learn to truly feel for others. To respect boundaries. To value life. May we grow in empathy, in understanding, and in basic humanity. #JusticeForSanaYousaf." Mawra, Maya join in An equally enraged Mawra Hocane pointed to the devastating frequency with which women in Pakistan fall afoul of men they no longer wish to liaise with – and the justification offered up by social media users hinting that they asked for it. "Another story we will forget in a few days, when a new story takes over — we've failed as a society, as humans. I see no return from this point," lamented the Jafaa star. "I hear victim blaming. I hear how a woman should've behaved to evade this. It's all of us. We've contributed to men not being able to hear a NO!" Pointing fingers at an entertainment industry that perpetuates problematic societal norms, Mawra added, "Our content still romanticses forced relationships, toxic love, dominating male behaviours. Well, this is the impact. A 17-year-old was killed because a boy thought it would be okay to do so when rejected. I hope and pray that the authorities make an example out of the perpetrator." Similarly, Sunn Mere Dil actor Maya Ali, also taking to IG Stories, wrote that although she had never known Sana's family, she, too, shared in the vicarious grief felt by every woman who knows that it could have been them. "I don't care about the reason. I don't want explanations. I want justice," penned Maya. "I want the people who did this to be arrested or hanged. No mercy. No more waiting." Questioning why women must always be the gatekeepers of upholding a cultural facade, the actor continued, "Why is it always a girl or a woman who has to pay the price for so-called 'honour'? It's heartbreaking. It's unbearable. And it must stop. I strongly urge the higher authorities to take strict and immediate action against this cruel and inhuman act." Male celebs speak up Whilst the majority of celebrities who voiced their dissent on social media were predictably women, two male stars stood out. Maya's close friend and fellow actor Osman Khalid Butt voiced a similar sentiment to the former about authorities taking action. "Umar Hayat must be prosecuted without delay. No loopholes, no leniency. All eyes on our law enforcement. All eyes on the courts," posted Osman on X alongside the hashtag #JusticeForSanaYousaf. Chahat actor Imran Abbas was also amongst the first to raise his voice against the shocking incident. On Tuesday, Imran posted a widely circulated image of a beaming Sana, writing, "I'm deeply saddened by the tragic news of the 17-year-old girl's murder. The government needs to take immediate action against these horrific crimes, particularly those committed against girls under the guise of personal vendetta, honour or other pretexts. This is the fifth one in [the] last few months." Anoushey spotlights trend Perhaps the most outraged reaction came from recently married former VJ Anoushey Ashraf, whose heartfelt video and accompanying harrowing caption said it all and could also be found reposted in the IG Stories of Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum star Hania Aamir and Aiman Khan. "Another young woman silenced. Another life stolen for being seen," began Anoushey in her caption. "The murder of 17-year-old Sana Yousaf — vibrant, confident, full of promise shatters the illusion that women in Pakistan can exist freely, even in the digital world. She was a teenager creating joy for millions. To mourn her is not enough. We need to rage, to speak, to keep pushing for a world where women don't have to fear simply being. Sana, you deserved so much better. We will not forget you." To illustrate the rhetorical point that this is by no means an isolated incident, Anoushey turned the spotlight on her followers and asked women to speak up about the times they have felt unsafe, promising anonymity in return. Floored by the "countless" stories she received, the VJ posted a screenshot of at least 30 she had received, all depicting in grim detail how they had been harassed or assaulted by either strangers or men in their families. Coming on the heels of the upheld guilty verdict of the horrific Noor Makaddam case last month (nearly four years after the fact), Sana's murder is no isolated case of gender based violence. And as Anoushey's simple Instagram exercise highlights yet again, although we may be in 2025, it will be far from the last.
Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Sana's 'killer' sent to jail
The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Wednesday approved the identification parade and sent the main accused involved in the murder of TikToker Sana Yousaf to jail for two weeks. Under tight security, police brought Umar Hayat, the main suspect in Sana Yousaf's murder, to the Islamabad District and Sessions Court. His face was covered as he appeared before Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shehzad Gondal. During the hearing, police requested physical remand of the suspect and permission to hold an identification parade. The court granted the request and sent Hayat to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand. Magistrate Gondal directed the jail superintendent to keep the suspect in isolation during the identification process. Police were also told to complete the parade and submit a report by June 18. On Wednesday's hearing, prosecutor and the district prosecutor were missing. Expressing concern, Magistrate Gondal questioned "Where is the prosecutor of my court? He then ordered that the district prosecutor be summoned without delay. A duty prosecutor informed the court that the assigned prosecutor was on leave. The magistrate responded that proceedings would not continue until the district prosecutor was present. After a short break, the hearing resumed, and the court issued a written order, and approving the remand.
