Islamabad court awards death sentence in Sana Yousaf murder case

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Monday sentenced the main convict in the murder case of 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf to death.

The verdict was announced by Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, who also handed Umar Hayat a 10-year prison term and imposed a fine of Rs2 million.

Verdict announced by trial court

The case relates to the killing of Sana Yousaf, a teenage social media personality. The trial court delivered its ruling after proceedings in which the accused’s earlier confession also came under discussion.

Hayat is the son of a retired government official and is himself a TikToker. Last year, he had recorded a confessional statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in which he admitted to shooting Sana.

However, during his testimony before the trial court a day earlier, he withdrew that confession. He retracted the statement he had previously made before the magistrate.

Earlier confession and later retraction

In his earlier statement, Hayat had said that he developed a one-sided obsession with Yousaf following online interactions. He had also stated that jealousy and suspicion led him to commit the killing.

The court nevertheless proceeded to announce its judgment on Monday, sentencing him to death in the case while also awarding an additional 10-year jail term and a financial penalty of Rs2 million.

The development marks a major step in the high-profile case involving the killing of the teenage influencer, which had drawn public attention because of both the victim’s age and her presence on social media.

Monday’s ruling therefore establishes the trial court’s decision on punishment in the Sana Yousaf murder case, with Umar Hayat receiving the death sentence, a separate 10-year prison term and a Rs2 million fine.