ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday aformally charged Umar Hayat, the alleged murderer of social media influencer Sana Yousaf.
Hayat, who is also a TikToker and is known by the nickname "Kaka," was presented before Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal, who outlined the charges against him.
Police had registered a murder case against the suspect at Islamabad’s Sumbal police station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The accused, a TikToker himself and also known by his nickname "Kaka", was brought before Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal, who read out charges against him.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges.
"Did you murder Sana Yousaf?" the judge asked Hayat during the hearing. "I have not committed any such crime; these are all false allegations," the accused replied.
Upon being asked bout allegations of stealing Sana's mobile phone, the accused denied this too, saying: "All the allegations against me are based on lies."
The court later adjourned the case till September 25 for further proceedings in the matter.
As per the initial investigations, the girl’s parents were away at the time of killing — her father at work and her mother at the market — while her younger brother was in Chitral visiting relatives after completing his exams.
The victim’s aunt, who was present in the house during the incident, told police the suspect had come to meet the teenager and the two exchanged brief words before the shooting.
She recalled overhearing her niece telling the visitor: “Go away from here. There are cameras all around, and I will fetch you some water,” moments before he allegedly opened fire, hitting her twice in the chest.
TikTok is wildly popular in Pakistan, in part because of its accessibility to a population with low literacy levels.
Women have found both an audience and income on the app, which is rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of women participate in the formal economy.
— With additional input from AFP
