Latest news with #SanaYousaf
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ayeza Khan under fire for 'insensitive' statement
Following the murder of 17-year-old influencer Sana Yousaf, Ayeza Khan joined her fellow celebrities and the internet in speaking out about the issue. However, her priorities didn't quite align with what netizens were expecting from her. Instead of condemning the murder or the perpetrator, Ayeza chose to discuss the repercussions of sharing one's personal life on social media. "Let's all understand the pros and cons of social media, especially when it comes to our security. Keep your addresses, car numbers, regular spots, and children's details private," she wrote. "It's not safe. It's just not safe. Share less. Times have changed," she emphasised. "Recognise that the audience you have today isn't the one you personally chose. It's from all over the world." The Meray Paas Tum Ho actor believes that it is one's own responsibility to guard what they put out in the digital world. "Let's take responsibility for what we share," she said. Adding a prayer, she concluded, "May Allah protect us all and keep us in good company. Ameen." 'Tone deaf much?' Although Ayeza's sentiments stemmed from a place of concern for the detrimental impact of social media on one's life, netizens called out her statement for lacking sensitivity and veering towards victim blaming. "Someone lost their life because some man had a similar toxic ideology as the roles your husband plays in every single drama he stars in, and your main takeaway is 'let's protect ourselves'? Tone deaf much?" an Instagram user questioned. The user didn't mince their words, urging Ayeza to tell her actor-husband Danish Taimoor to stop romanticising toxic masculinity in his drama serials and have empathy for the family who lost their young girl. "You should at least have some form of the humanity that you were preaching a few weeks ago, telling others to not victim blame," the user continued. "You seriously need to check yourself first and then hire a decent PR team because every statement you make is the most ridiculous, tone-deaf, and insensitive thing ever." A different netizen suggested that the Humraaz actor is hypocritical for having an active Instagram account and still putting out such statements. "While your whole life is on your social media account, you still have the guts to shape cold-blooded murder into a lack of self-protection. Please come out of the fancy clothes and glamorous shoots. The victim was not at fault at all. Maybe tell your dear husband to not choose scripts like he does all the time and stop normalising abuse on screens." Other criticism ranged from speaking out against male privilege to hoping to de-platform celebrities who perpetuate harmful ideas that influence the wrong minds. Many argued that the problem is not social media but the entitlement that criminals have to commit such heinous crimes without the fear of being watched or punished. As per the BBC, a 22-year-old man confessed to murdering Sana after being arrested. Authorities believe that Umar Hayat murdered the influencer at her home in Islamabad after she rejected his "offers of friendship". They informed the BBC that he broke into her house, fired two shots, and fled with her phone. Sana's family gathered in Chitral for her burial. Her father, Syed Yousaf Hassan, shared that she was his only daughter a "very brave" one at that. He added that she had never mentioned Umar or reported any threatening behaviour before her life was taken on Monday.
Arab News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘A flower snatched from us': Family demands justice for murdered TikTok influencer
KARACHI: The father of a teenage Pakistani TikTok influencer shot dead this week in Islamabad said on Wednesday he had wanted her to join the bureaucracy, but she had set her sights on the medical field to serve the people of Pakistan. Sana Yousaf, 17, was shot dead at her home on Monday evening by another social media influencer, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, after she rejected his repeated advances, Islamabad Police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi told reporters on Tuesday. Originally from Chitral, around 400 kilometers north of the capital, Yousaf had 1.1 million followers on TikTok and over 600,000 on Instagram. Her videos ranged from lip-syncing to songs to food tastings and makeup tutorials. The last clip posted to her TikTok account— a montage of her birthday celebration with friends— has already garnered 18.6 million views. 'My wish was for her to go on to do CSS [Central Superior Services],' Syed Yousuf Hasan, her father, told Arab News by phone from his ancestral village of Chuing in Chitral. 'But she insisted that she wanted to go into the medical field so that she could serve her country, Pakistan, and its people more,' he continued. 'That was her dream.' Yousaf was pursuing her goal of becoming a doctor and was enrolled in the Faculty of Science (FSc), a two-year pre-university qualification at the intermediate level. 'She was intelligent, talented and cheerful, and her presence would light up any gathering,' Hasan, a government officer, said. 'She was like a son to me, like a brave son.' Yousaf had been expected to travel to Chitral to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with her family. Hasan said she was especially close to him, her mother and her younger brother. Her uncle, Syed Kausar Ali Shah, described her as an 'exceptionally talented child' with a strong sense of purpose. 'She had a vision and used to say, 'Our parents have invested in us, and we will repay that by serving our ancestral region.'' 'NO FORGIVENESS' On Wednesday, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded Hayat in judicial custody for 14 days, according to a police spokesperson. Yousaf's murder has sparked renewed outrage over women's safety in Pakistan. Activists and rights groups criticized social media users for victim-blaming the teenager as news of her killing broke. Violence against women is frequently reported in Pakistan, especially in cases involving rejected marriage proposals or women active on social media platforms like TikTok. Feminist groups and civil society activists have announced protests in several cities on Thursday to demand accountability for Yousaf's murder. Hasan, too, is seeking justice. 'If someone enters your home and kills, then there should be no forgiveness for that person,' he said. 'Our demand is that he be punished publicly in the same way he treated us.' Shah said the family and the people of Chitral were proud of Yousaf for standing her ground. 'She was our whole world,' he said, his voice breaking. 'She was a flower that was snatched from us.'
Business Recorder
a day 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
a day 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.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
TikTok Star Sana Yousaf Dies at 17 After Being Fatally Shot: Police
Sana Yousaf died after being fatally shot The social media influencer, who celebrated her birthday last week, died at age 17 Pakistani police confirmed they arrested a 22-year-old on suspicion of her murder within 20 hoursSana Yousaf has died at age 17 after she was fatally shot, Pakistani police confirmed on Tuesday, June 3. The TikTok star, who had over one million followers across her social media platforms, was killed at her home in the capital Islamabad on Monday night, reported CBS News. Police have arrested a 22-year-old on suspicion of her murder, per the outlet. Law enforcement says he spent hours loitering outside her home. The accused involved in Yousaf's murder was arrested within 20 hours, according to IG Islamabad Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi's press conference with senior officers on Tuesday. "It was a case of repeated rejections. The boy was trying to reach out to her time and again," Rizvi said during a news conference, per CBS News. He added, "It was a gruesome and cold-blooded murder." Yousaf was a popular content creator on TikTok with more than 800,000 followers on the app. She was known for her lip-sync clips, skincare advice and beauty product promo videos. The last post that Yousaf posted on Instagram was a video showing her cutting a cake in celebration of her birthday, just hours before her death. Fans filled her comment section with heartfelt tributes. "Can't believe this 💔 May her soul rest in peace," wrote one user. "This doesn't feel real. You were glowing, just being 17. I'm so sorry this world didn't protect you. Rest in peace, sweetheart 💔," commented another. Read the original article on People
