Another Tragic Killing in Pakistan: 17-Year-Old TikTok Star Sana Yusuf Shot Dead After Rejecting Love Proposal
Pakistan | June 4, 2025
A heartbreaking case of gender-based violence has once again shaken Pakistan. Seventeen-year-old TikTok star Sana Yusuf was shot dead in Islamabad in what human rights groups in the country are calling a fresh example of violence following the rejection of a romantic proposal.
According to police, Sana Yusuf was shot and killed at her home in Islamabad on Monday evening. She had over 800,000 followers on the social media platform TikTok, where she mostly posted lip-sync videos, skincare tips, and promotional content for beauty products.
Islamabad Police Chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi stated at a press conference, “This was a case of repeated rejection. The accused had persistently tried to contact Sana, and after being repeatedly turned down, he chose a path of revenge. This was a cruel and cold-blooded premeditated murder.”
Police have arrested a 22-year-old man as the prime suspect in the case. Initial investigations reveal that the accused would often stand outside Sana’s house for hours and harass her on social media.
Sana had just turned 17 last week. Just hours before her death, she had posted a video on her TikTok account showing herself cutting a birthday cake. The video has since been flooded with thousands of comments from followers, saying “Rest in Peace,” “Justice for Sana,” and “She didn’t deserve this.”
The murder has sparked renewed concern in Pakistan over women’s safety and online harassment. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan stated, “Violence against women for rejecting marriage or romantic proposals remains tragically common in Pakistan.”
This incident is not isolated. In 2021, the nation was rocked by the brutal killing of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam by her former boyfriend. The perpetrator, Zahir Jaffer, was sentenced to death. In another case in 2016, Khadija Siddiqi, a young woman, survived 23 stab wounds inflicted by her ex-boyfriend.
Sana Yusuf’s death has drawn international attention as well. Her fans across online platforms are demanding justice and stronger protections for women. The hashtag #JusticeForSana is now trending, symbolizing a broader call for action against gender-based violence in Pakistan.
While Sana’s family has not yet made an official public statement, they have reportedly called for swift justice. The online movement for justice continues to grow, reflecting a powerful resistance against violence toward women across the country.
