The murder of 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf has sparked widespread outrage across Pakistan, with women questioning whether any safe spaces exist for them online or offline. Sana was shot dead less than 24 hours after posting a video celebrating her birthday to over a million followers. Graphic images of her body went viral on social media, fueling anger and demands for justice.
According to the police, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, an unemployed man from Faisalabad, has been detained over Sana’s murder. The Inspector General of Police, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, alleged that Hayat repeatedly attempted to contact Sana and killed her when she refused to respond. Sana’s father, Syed Yousaf Hassan, expressed his immense loss, saying, “My daughter was braver than a son. She didn’t fear anything.”
The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) condemned the toxic online comments celebrating Sana’s killing, stating that such rhetoric “dangerously links a woman’s online presence or perceived morality to justifications for violence.” The organization’s report highlighted the broader culture of victim-blaming, where abuse is normalized, and accountability is shifted away from the perpetrator.
Prominent women’s rights campaigners argue that Sana’s death is a result of unrestricted online abuse of women in a patriarchal country. Amber Rahim Shamsi, a journalist and Pakistan editor of Nukta, shared her own experience of online harassment, saying, “I have also been stalked online, and became fearful when my stalker started to send me mugs and mounted photos to my office. I am just one example among millions of women from all walks of life.”
Shamsi emphasized the need to discuss the crisis of masculinity, especially in digital spaces, stating, “Social media has amplified women’s voices – especially those of young women – who are increasingly educated, politically aware, and unafraid to own their choices. That visibility, that confidence, is unsettling for some men who have grown up believing their authority, their control, is a given.” She added, “It’s an identity crisis. A subset of men is reacting with anxiety and aggression to this shift in gender dynamic as though the solution is to shrink women’s spaces, rather than question why so many boys are being raised to feel threatened by equality.”
The DRF’s report documented over 20,000 cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and online threats since 2017, highlighting the inadequacy of regulations and policies in Pakistan. Natalia Tariq, resource mobilization lead at the Association for Progressive Communications, emphasized the need for a more comprehensive approach to address online violence.
Sana’s murder comes less than two weeks after a landmark ruling upheld the death penalty for Zahir Jaffer, who murdered Noor Mukkadam in 2021. Noor’s family issued a statement saying the verdict was a “powerful reminder that women’s lives matter.” Sana’s father remembered his daughter’s plans to become a doctor and her love for birthday parties, saying, “Every moment with her was unforgettable”.