Accused in Sana Yousaf murder case retracts confession in court

ISLAMABAD: The main accused in the murder case of 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf withdrew his earlier confession before a trial court on Monday and claimed that Islamabad police had wrongly implicated him in the case.

Umar Hayat, who had previously recorded a confessional statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), appeared before the court for his statement under Section 342 of the CrPC. Under that provision, a trial court may question an accused person about incriminating material on record so that he can explain the circumstances before presenting his defence.

Public prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kayani represented the prosecution. At the start of the hearing, Hayat declined to state his age and repeatedly refused to answer the court’s questions in the absence of his lawyer. Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka asked whether he had heard the testimonies recorded during the trial, but the accused said he would not respond without counsel. The judge observed that legal representation was not required during the recording of a statement under Section 342 because it was a direct exchange between the court and the accused.

The court then asked Hayat whether he had rented a car in his own name, whether he had gone to Yousaf’s home with the intention of killing her, whether he had shot her twice in the chest, taken her mobile phone and fled, and whether he had stopped the rented vehicle in G-13 on the pretext of using the washroom before going into nearby bushes. He again declined to answer until his lawyer arrived.

After the defence counsel reached the courtroom, Hayat recorded a detailed statement and denied all allegations against him.

Accused challenges prosecution case

In his statement, Hayat said he was 23 years old and had no link to the case. He denied renting any vehicle and alleged that the purported rental agreement had been fabricated to bolster the prosecution’s case. He also claimed there was no CCTV footage from the rental office or of the alleged vehicle.

He denied travelling to Islamabad on June 2 and denied visiting Yousaf’s residence. According to his account, he was picked up from his home in Jaranwala on June 3 on suspicion and later taken to a police station, where Yousaf’s relatives were also present. He alleged that police recorded his video inside the station and shared it on social media. He further claimed that police told Yousaf’s family:

this is your accused

Hayat also denied taking Yousaf’s mobile phone and said the robbery aspect had been introduced later to strengthen the case. He described the matter as a blind murder and alleged flaws in the investigation record, including wrong addresses and inconsistencies in references to KRL Hospital in witness statements recorded under Section 161 of the CrPC.

He further said there was no evidence placing him at the crime scene, including location data or CCTV footage. He denied ever having a dispute with Yousaf, asking to meet her, or having any contact with her. He alleged that he was implicated because of public pressure on social media, as both he and Yousaf were known TikTok personalities.

The accused also denied owning the pistol allegedly recovered from him. He said that when he was arrested he was wearing yellow trousers and a black T-shirt, while the other people in the identification parade were dressed differently, making the parade defective. He also rejected the confessional statement attributed to him before a magistrate, saying it was not his confession and that he did not know what it contained.

Hayat further alleged that he was tortured in custody, made to sign seven blank pages and repeatedly pressured to confess. He also claimed that his objections to the identification parade were not included in the judicial record and that statements related to the rented vehicle had been forcibly obtained by investigators.

Courtroom exchange over alleged recording

During the hearing, the court also took notice of an alleged video recording being made inside the courtroom while the accused was present. A tense exchange followed between Judge Majoka and the defence lawyer. The judge ordered the lawyer to hand over the mobile phone and delete the footage, warning that if the video was circulated online it would amount to misconduct. The defence counsel objected and argued that the court could not demand his phone.

Earlier confession and case background

In his earlier confession, Hayat had admitted to killing Sana Yousaf. According to that statement, he had developed a one-sided obsession with her after online interactions and said jealousy and suspicion led him to commit the crime.

That earlier statement said he travelled from Jaranwala to Islamabad on May 28 to wish Yousaf on her birthday, but felt ignored when she refused to meet him. He had further stated that on June 2 he returned in a rented Toyota Fortuner carrying a 30-bore pistol, forced his way into her house in G-13, shot her dead in front of her mother and maternal aunt, and took her mobile phone to delete their conversations before escaping.

At the time, Hayat had expressed remorse and said he was ashamed of committing the crime, while maintaining that the confession was voluntary and not made under pressure.

Yousaf, who was 17, had more than a million followers across social media platforms and was known for posting videos about cafés she liked, skincare routines and traditional clothing. Her killing in June 2025 triggered widespread condemnation and renewed discussion about women’s safety in Pakistan.