Convict had retracted confession yesterday, alleging false implication under pressure from victim’s TikTok followers
ISLAMABAD:
An Islamabad court on Tuesday announced the verdict in the Sana Yousaf murder case, sentencing Umar Hayat, to death.
On Monday, Hayat refused to accept his confessional statement given before the magistrate, saying that he did not even know what a confessional statement is.
During the hearing of the murder case, the accused had alleged that the police had falsely implicated under pressure of Sana’s TikTok followers. Further, he claimed that the police had produced no solid proof and had accused him on the basis of fake documents, false cases and forced testimonies.
While recording his statment, Hayat said that the police had taken him to the police station forcibly and tortured him to sign a blank seven page document. He also claimed that he had never even visited Sector G-13 on the day that Sana was murdered.
Sana, a 17-year-old TikToker, was shot and killed in Islamabad’s G-13 Sector in June, 2025. She was shot at close range inside her home.
The killer had reportedly entered Sana’s house, opened fire, and then fled the scene. A murder case was subsequently registered against Hayat at the Sumbal Police Station. The accused was sent to jail for two weeks on judicial remand, two days after the murder.
Read: Our grief is not justice: The rot that killed Sana Yousaf was never hiding
In September, Hayat denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. Charges against him included murder and snatching the victim’s mobile phone. The denial came after Hayat reportedly confessed to shooting Sana inside her home, according to investigators.
In January 2026, a District and Sessions Court in Islamabad recorded statements of Sana’s mother and aunt. With Judge Majoka hearing the case, Hayat was produced before the court, but no lawyer initially appeared on his behalf. With the reumption of the hearing, Sana’s mother Farzana Yousaf and her aunt Bibi Latifan appeared before the court.
Farzana Yousaf recorded her statement, stating that her son Yawar Yousaf was in Chitral due to summer vacations, while her sister-in-law Latifan was visiting their home.
She said that at around 5:00pm, a man wearing a black shirt and blue trousers entered their house and fired two shots at Sana in the presence of both women. She added that the assailant fled with a pistol and Sana’s mobile phone.
Read More: ‘We will not forget you’
In April 2026, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) then reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Hayat seeking transfer of the murder case to another court. Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, while hearing the case, remarked that if parties approach the high court, they should inform the trial court.
The accused’s counsel, meanwhile, argued that the trial court’s conduct was inappropriate, claiming that a state counsel was appointed in their absence and cross-examination was conducted without granting adequate opportunity. He requested that previous proceedings be set aside and a fresh opportunity for cross-examination be provided, expressing a lack of confidence in the trial court.
The complainant’s counsel opposed the request, stating that despite multiple opportunities over 10 months, only two witnesses had been cross-examined after statements were recorded. He added that the trial court had provided sufficient facilitation.
