Man charged with murder in killing of teen TikTok star in Pakistan

A Pakistani court charged a man on Saturday with murder for shooting a teenage social media influencer outside her home earlier this year after refusing his offer of friendship.

Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka in the capital, Islamabad, indicted Umar Hayat for killing 17-year-old Sana Yousuf. Hayat pleaded not guilty.

Hayat, a 22-year-old TikTok content creator, was arrested in June in the eastern city of Faisalabad. Yousuf’s death drew widespread condemnation.

Judge Majoka asked Hayat if he had killed Yousuf. Hayat replied that he had not. He also rejected the allegation that he had stolen her mobile phone, a court official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Footage on Pakistan’s private Samaa TV channel showed police leading a handcuffed Hayat to the court.

Yousuf, originally from the scenic northern region of Chitral, was known for promoting traditional Chitrali music and dress through her TikTok channel. She also advocated for girls’ education. Hours before her murder, she had posted a birthday celebration photo with friends.

Police described the killing as a “gruesome and cold-blooded murder,” alleging Hayat killed Yousuf after she repeatedly rejected his proposals.

Some comments in social media posts sharing the news of Yousuf’s murder suggested it was justified in a society where honour codes dictate how women should behave.

“You reap what you sow,” said one comment.

TikTok enjoys immense popularity in Pakistan due to its easy-to-use and visually-led format, with tens of millions of users.  Women have found both audience and income on the app, which is rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of the women participate in the formal economy.

But it has also faced temporary bans. The government has suspended the platform several times, citing concerns that the app promotes immoral or unlawful content.

In July, police in Pakistan said a father shot and killed his daughter after she refused to delete her TikTok account.

Violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan according to the country’s Human Rights Commission, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting marriage proposals are not uncommon.

In 2021, 27-year-old Noor Mukadam was beheaded by her Pakistani-American boyfriend, Zahir Jaffer, after she rejected his marriage proposal in a case that sparked widespread anger. Jaffer was sentenced to death.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.