An Islamabad court has announced its verdict in the murder case of 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf, sentencing the main accused, Umar Hayat, to death.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, who also awarded the convict 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs. 2 million.
The decision came after a key development in the trial, as Umar Hayat retracted his earlier confessional statement while testifying before the court. He had previously admitted before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code that he shot Sana Yousaf.
In that earlier statement, the accused had said he developed a one-sided obsession with Sana following online interactions. He had also claimed that jealousy and suspicion pushed him to commit the crime.
Despite that earlier confession, he withdrew the statement during trial proceedings, prompting fresh attention around the case before the court finally announced its ruling.
Umar Hayat, who is himself said to be a TikToker and the son of a retired government official, had remained the central figure in the high-profile case, which drew widespread public attention because of Sana Yousaf’s young age and social media presence.
Finally the accused got what he deserved