Latest news with #SanaYousuf
Gulf Today
16-06-2025
- Gulf Today
'This is a culture:' TikTok murder highlights Pakistan's unease with women online
Since seeing thousands of comments justifying the recent murder of a teenage TikTok star in Pakistan, Sunaina Bukhari is considering abandoning her 88,000 followers. "In my family, it wasn't an accepted profession at all, but I'd managed to convince them, and even ended up setting up my own business," she said. Then last week, Sana Yousuf was shot dead outside her house in the capital Islamabad by a man whose advances she had repeatedly rejected, police said. News of the murder led to an outpouring of comments under her final post — her 17th birthday celebration where she blew out the candles on a cake. In between condolence messages, some blamed her for her own death: "You reap what you sow" or "it's deserved, she was tarnishing Islam." Sana had racked up more than a million followers on social media, where she shared her favourite cafes, skincare products and traditional shalwar kameez outfits. TikTok is wildly popular in Pakistan, in part because of its accessibility to a population with low literacy levels. On it, women have found both audience and income, rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of the women participate in the formal economy. But as TikTok's views have surged, so have efforts to police the platform. Demonstrators holds placards and a poster of Sana Yousuf during a protest held to condemn violence against women after she was killed for rejecting a man's proposal in Islamabad. AFP Pakistani Telecommunications Authorities have repeatedly blocked or threatened to block the app over what it calls "immoral behaviour," amid backlash against sexual content. TikTok has pledged to better moderate content and blocked millions of videos that do not meet its community guidelines as well as at the request of Pakistani authorities. After Sana's murder, Bukhari, 28, said her family no longer backs her involvement in the industry. "I'm the first influencer in my family, and maybe the last," she told AFP. Only 30 per cent of women in Pakistan own a smartphone compared to twice as many men (58 per cent), the largest gap in the world, according to the Mobile Gender Gap Report of 2025. "Friends and family often discourage them from using social media for fear of being judged," said a statement from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF). In southwestern Balochistan, where tribal law governs many rural areas, a man confessed to orchestrating the murder of his 14-year-old daughter earlier this year over TikTok videos that he said compromised her honour. In October, police in Karachi, in the south, announced the arrest of a man who had killed four women relatives over "indecent" TikTok videos. These murders each revive memories of Qandeel Baloch, dubbed Pakistan's Kim Kardashian and one of the country's first breakout social media stars whose videos shot her to fame. After years in the spotlight, she was suffocated by her brother. Violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan, according to the country's Human Rights Commission, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting men are not uncommon. "This isn't one crazy man, this is a culture," said Kanwal Ahmed, who leads a closed Facebook group of 300,000 women to share advice. "Every woman in Pakistan knows this fear. Whether she's on TikTok or has a private Instagram with 50 followers, men show up. In her DMs. In her comments. On her street," she wrote in a post. In the fifth-most-populous country in the world, where 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 30, the director of digital rights organisation Bolo Bhi, Usama Khilji, says "many women don't post their profile picture, but a flower, an object, very rarely their face." "The misogyny and the patriarchy that is prevalent in this society is reflected on the online spaces," he added. A 22-year-old man was arrested over Sana's murder and is due to appear in court next week. At a vigil in the capital last week, around 80 men and women gathered, holding placards that read "no means no." "Social media has given us a voice, but the opposing voices are louder," said Hira, a young woman who joined the gathering. The capital's police chief, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, used a press conference to send a "clear message" to the public. "If our sisters or daughters want to become influencers, professionally or as amateurs, we must encourage them," he said. Agence France-Presse Sana Yousaf was well-known for her social media activities, with nearly 800,000 followers on TikTok account and almost 500,000 on Instagram. Photo: Instagram
Express Tribune
06-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Women facing digital harassment: CERT
In the context of the recent murder of a TikToker, Pakistan's National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has issued an advisory, noting that women continue to face persistent threats such as image-based abuse and digital harassment in Pakistan. The advisory — titled Safe, Diligent, and Responsible Usage of Social Media — has painted a stark picture of the digital threat landscape in Pakistan, highlighting risks that affect millions particularly children, women, and elderly users — who are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, misinformation, emotional manipulation, and online abuse. CERT has noted that these threats are compounded by inadequate reporting channels and low digital literacy, while flagging a worrying increase in cyber incidents affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online grooming. According to the advisory, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Facebook dominate the digital space, especially among youth, providing avenues for expression, education, and activism. "However, these platforms are also fertile ground for disinformation campaigns, phishing scams, impersonation, harassment, and algorithm driven psychological manipulation." A young TikToker, Sana Yousuf, was tragically shot dead in the federal capital on June 2. The suspect, 22-year-old Umar Hayat — also a social media content creator — allegedly killed Sana after she rejected his offer of friendship. Sana Yousuf, 17, had more than one million followers on social media, The advisory said manipulation of user emotions through provocative content and the constant comparison promoted by curated online lives has also contributed to increasing stress and mental health issues.
Mint
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Who killed Pakistani TikTok star Sana Yousuf? Teen shot dead for rejecting suspect's 'offers of friendship'
After 17-year-old Pakistani TikTok star Sana Yousuf was shot dead at her Islamabad residence on Monday, a man was arrested in Faisalabad in eastern Punjab province for allegedly killing her. The accused, identified as 22-year-old Umar Hayat, also a social media content creator, was arrested on Tuesday by the Islamabad Police and was produced in court on Wednesday. Umar is accused of shooting Sana Yousuf, who had more than one million followers on social media, after she rejected his offer of friendship. The murder in Pakistan's capital city has sparked widespread outrage across the globe. According to TV footage, Umar, with his face covered, was brought to court, where police requested additional time to complete their investigation and file formal murder charges. The judge ordered that Umar be presented again on June 18 for pretrial proceedings. Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, Islamabad's Inspector General of Police (IGP), told a media briefing on Tuesday: 'The accused is a 22-year-old unemployed man who repeatedly attempted to contact the victim. Upon her refusal to respond, he committed the murder.' The suspect took Yousuf's phone with him to 'destroy evidence'. But police had seized her phone as well as the murder weapon from the suspect, Rizvi added. The suspect and Yousuf had known each other for one year. He had travelled to Islamabad between May 28 and 29 to wish Yousuf well on her birthday, but the two could not meet, for unspecified reasons, Dawn reported, citing sources. Authorities told BBC that they believe Umar Hayat murdered Yousaf at her home in Islamabad on Monday after she rejected what they called his "offers of friendship". He allegedly also repeatedly tried, and failed, to meet her. Sana originally hailed from the northern region of Chitral in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Through her videos, she promoted traditional Chitrali music and dress and advocated for girls' education. Hours before Sana Yousuf was killed, she had posted a photo celebrating her birthday with friends. According to The Express Tribune, Sana was shot at close range by an unidentified assailant who reportedly entered her home and opened fire before fleeing the scene. The report, citing police sources, stated: "The killer reportedly entered the house and opened fire before fleeing the scene."
CTV News
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
A Pakistani man accused of killing a young TikTok influencer appears in court
ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani man accused of killing a 17-year-old TikTok influencer after she rejected his offer of friendship made his first court appearance Wednesday, officials and police said. Suspect Umar Hayat, 22, who also creates content on TikTok, was arrested Tuesday by Islamabad police in Faisalabad, an industrial city in eastern Punjab province. He is accused of shooting Sana Yousuf, who had more than one million followers on social media. The killing earlier this week in Islamabad drew widespread condemnation. TV footage showed Hayat with his face covered as he was brought to court, where police requested additional time to complete their investigation and file formal murder charges. The judge ordered that Hayat be presented again on June 18 for pretrial proceedings. Yousuf, originally from the scenic northern region of Chitral, was known for promoting traditional Chitrali music and dress through her videos. She also advocated for girls' education. TikTok has more than 60 million users in Pakistan, many of them young women and teenagers. Hours before her murder, she had posted a photo celebrating her birthday with friends. The Associated Press
Arab News
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Pakistani man accused of killing young TikTok influencer appears in court
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man accused of killing a 17-year-old TikTok influencer after she rejected his offer of friendship made his first court appearance Wednesday, officials and police said. Suspect Umar Hayat, 22, who also creates content on TikTok, was arrested Tuesday by Islamabad police in Faisalabad, an industrial city in eastern Punjab province. He is accused of shooting Sana Yousuf, who had more than one million followers on social media. The killing earlier this week in Islamabad drew widespread condemnation. TV footage showed Hayat with his face covered as he was brought to court, where police requested additional time to complete their investigation and file formal murder charges. The judge ordered that Hayat be presented again on June 18 for pretrial proceedings. Yousuf, originally from the scenic northern region of Chitral, was known for promoting traditional Chitrali music and dress through her videos. She also advocated for girls' education. TikTok has more than 60 million users in Pakistan, many of them young women and teenagers. Hours before her murder, she had posted a photo celebrating her birthday with friends.
