A 17-year-old Pakistani TikTok sensation, Sana Yousaf, was shot and killed in her home in Islamabad in what authorities are calling a brutal act of obsession and rejection.
Sana, who had amassed over a million followers across social media platforms, was known for her upbeat videos, skincare content, and brand collaborations. Her final post, just hours before the attack, captured her celebrating her birthday by cutting a cake—an eerie prelude to the tragedy that would follow.
The suspected killer, a 22-year-old man, had reportedly been stalking the teenager online and was seen loitering outside her house for hours before he broke in and shot her.
“It was a case of repeated rejections. The boy was trying to reach out to her time and again,” said Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi in a press briefing. He described the killing as “gruesome and cold-blooded.”
The murder has not only sent shockwaves through Sana’s fanbase but also ignited a troubling conversation online, with some social media users justifying the act by invoking harmful cultural narratives around “honour.”
“You reap what you sow,” one disturbing comment read—drawing condemnation from women’s rights groups.
Nighat Dad, a leading advocate for digital rights, called out the misogynistic backlash: “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 posted, as reported by AFP.
UN Women Pakistan Goodwill Ambassador Muniba Mazari also spoke out, writing 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!”
Sana’s death has drawn painful comparisons to previous high-profile cases of gender-based violence in Pakistan, including the 2021 murder of Noor Mukadam and the stabbing of law student Khadija Siddiqui in 2016—both victims of rejected suitors who turned violent.
