A teenage TikTok star who spoke out for women’s rights in Pakistan was shot dead in a ‘gruesome’ murder.
17-year-old Sana Yousaf was gunned down at her home in Islamabad by a man who had contacted her online on multiple occasions. Sana had rejected him repeatedly.
Police say the suspect entered Sana’s house and fired repeatedly, killing her instantly with two direct hits at point-blank range.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, with Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi telling reporters it was a case of ‘repeated rejections’.
‘It was a gruesome and cold-blooded murder,’ he said.
Sana, who had more than 1.5 million social media followers, was well-known for her women’s rights videos.
Hours after the murder on June 2, what appeared to be a scheduled post was shared on her social media, showing Sana at her recent birthday party.
In the final post, Sana was seen tucking into birthday treats like pizza and pasta with her pals on a roof terrace in the Instagram clip.
Her devoted followers have poured out their heartbreak on her platforms.
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One wrote: ‘This doesn’t feel real. You were glowing, just being 17. I’m so sorry this world didn’t protect you. Rest in peace, sweetheart.’
Another said: ‘This is a mirror held up to a society still plagued by toxic patriarchy – where women’s voices are feared, their freedom resented, and their strength punished.’
In April, a woman was shot dead by a man she didn’t know after rejecting his catcall in the street.
James Johnson, 43, was found guilty of murdering Nikki Loffredo, 42, and could face life in jail.
During his trial Johnson claimed he had not mean to kill Ms Loffredo, claiming that when Ms Loffredo yelled back at him it ‘pissed’ him off and he ‘felt disrespected’.
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