A 17-YEAR-old influencer, Sana Yousaf, was shot dead in her family home in Islamabad on 2 June by a male relative, prompting public outrage and police investigation into possible motives including honour-based violence and unreciprocated romantic interest.
The teenager, originally from Upper Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was gunned down at point-blank range in front of her mother and aunt. Police say the suspected gunman fled the scene immediately after the attack.
Sana’s body was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a post-mortem.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, confirmed on 3 June that the accused had been arrested and had confessed to the killing. Authorities also recovered the murder weapon and Sana’s mobile phone.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the suspect is a 22-year-old man and a relative of the victim. He is alleged to have killed Sana after she repeatedly rejected his advances. While police continue their inquiries, investigators have not ruled out the possibility of an honour killing, business-standard.com, cited.
Born on 2 June 2008, Sana had celebrated her birthday just a day prior to the tragedy. A video of the celebration has since gone viral online. While there are no formal details about her education, social media users have claimed she was a first-year medical student.
News of her death triggered widespread grief and fury across Pakistan and its diaspora communities, with the hashtag #JusticeForSanaYousaf trending across platforms.
“Sana Yousaf’s murder isn’t just a crime — it’s a symptom of Pakistan’s moral collapse,” wrote one user on X. “A 17-year-old girl butchered in her own home in the capital proves one thing: Women in Pakistan are not citizens; they are prey.”
Many have appealed for sensitivity in reporting and sharing content, urging the public not to post or circulate personal videos of the victim.
“May Allah forgive Sana Yousaf and grant her Jannah. Demand justice, but don’t share her content. Also, stop the slander. Islam teaches us not to speak ill of the dead,” read one widely shared post.
Others condemned the broader societal attitudes that tacitly support gendered violence. “A 17-year-old girl was brutally murdered, and people are writing ‘MashaAllah’ for her killer, defending outdated notions of honour. What a disgraceful society we’re living in!” one user commented.
Sana’s death has drawn comparisons with the 2012 shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai and other high-profile killings of women in Pakistan — many of them related to family control or honour.
Investigations into Sana Yousaf’s killing remain ongoing. - June 4, 2025
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