https://arab.news/jvdmm
- Police say Sana Yousaf, who had over a million TikTok followers, was shot dead after rejecting a man鈥檚 advances
- Her killing has reignited debate over women鈥檚 safety in Pakistan, where gender-based violence remains widespread
KARACHI: The father of a teenage Pakistani TikTok influencer shot dead this week in Islamabad said on Wednesday he had wanted her to join the bureaucracy, but she had set her sights on the medical field to serve the people of Pakistan.
Sana Yousaf, 17, was shot dead at her home on Monday evening by another social media influencer, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, after she rejected his repeated advances, Islamabad Police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi told reporters on Tuesday.
Originally from Chitral, around 400 kilometers north of the capital, Yousaf had 1.1 million followers on TikTok and over 600,000 on Instagram. Her videos ranged from lip-syncing to songs to food tastings and makeup tutorials.
The last clip posted to her TikTok account鈥� a montage of her birthday celebration with friends鈥� has already garnered 18.6 million views.
鈥淢y wish was for her to go on to do CSS [Central Superior Services],鈥� Syed Yousuf Hasan, her father, told Arab News by phone from his ancestral village of Chuing in Chitral.
鈥淏ut she insisted that she wanted to go into the medical field so that she could serve her country, Pakistan, and its people more,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭hat was her dream.鈥�
Yousaf was pursuing her goal of becoming a doctor and was enrolled in the Faculty of Science (FSc), a two-year pre-university qualification at the intermediate level.
鈥淪he was intelligent, talented and cheerful, and her presence would light up any gathering,鈥� Hasan, a government officer, said. 鈥淪he was like a son to me, like a brave son.鈥�
Yousaf had been expected to travel to Chitral to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with her family. Hasan said she was especially close to him, her mother and her younger brother.
Her uncle, Syed Kausar Ali Shah, described her as an 鈥渆xceptionally talented child鈥� with a strong sense of purpose.
鈥淪he had a vision and used to say, 鈥極ur parents have invested in us, and we will repay that by serving our ancestral region.鈥欌€�
鈥楴O FORGIVENESS鈥�
On Wednesday, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded Hayat in judicial custody for 14 days, according to a police spokesperson.
Yousaf鈥檚 murder has sparked renewed outrage over women鈥檚 safety in Pakistan. Activists and rights groups criticized social media users for victim-blaming the teenager as news of her killing broke.
Violence against women is frequently reported in Pakistan, especially in cases involving rejected marriage proposals or women active on social media platforms like TikTok.
Feminist groups and civil society activists have announced protests in several cities on Thursday to demand accountability for Yousaf鈥檚 murder.
Hasan, too, is seeking justice.
鈥淚f someone enters your home and kills, then there should be no forgiveness for that person,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur demand is that he be punished publicly in the same way he treated us.鈥�
Shah said the family and the people of Chitral were proud of Yousaf for standing her ground.
鈥淪he was our whole world,鈥� he said, his voice breaking. 鈥淪he was a flower that was snatched from us.鈥�