- Hayat sentenced to total of 20 years in prison, fined Rs2.4m.
- Victim’s father says sentence delivered in line with justice.
- Victim’s mother praises lawyers for presenting “a strong case”.
ISLAMABAD: A local court in the federal capital handed down a death sentence to the main accused, Umar Hayat, in the social media influencer Sana Yousaf’s murder case.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the reserved judgment, also imposing a fine of Rs2 million on the convict, according to the ruling.
Hayat was also sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison and fined Rs2.4 million in two other charges.
The court sentenced Hayat to 10 years imprisonment in a robbery case and awarded another 10-year sentence for trespassing.
Yousaf had more than 800,000 followers on TikTok, a wildly popular platform in Pakistan, where she posted lip-sync videos, skincare tips, and promotional content for beauty products.
Sana, who turned 17 a week before her death and had more than a million followers across her social media accounts, was killed at her home in Islamabad on June 2, 2025.
In the previous hearing held on Monday, accused Hayat retracted his earlier confession, terming the case a “blind murder” and denying all allegations.
He told the court that he had no connection with the incident and claimed he was in Faisalabad at the time of the murder.
The accused also alleged flaws in the investigation, stating that CCTV footage and witnesses were not properly presented before the court.
He further claimed that his confession was obtained under pressure and that he was not provided proper legal representation during parts of the investigation.
Hayat also challenged the identification parade, calling it unfair and inconsistent, and alleged that he was falsely implicated due to social media pressure.
The accused maintained that he never confessed to the murder and said all the evidence against him was fabricated.
‘Justice delivered’
Speaking to journalists after the court hearing, father of the victim, Yousaf, praised the judgment, saying that the judiciary has delivered the sentence in line with justice.
“We were waiting for this day for 11 months. The day has finally arrived,” he said, thanking the lawyers and media for their support.
“This decision is not just for us, but for the entire society. This is a lesson that if someone commits [such a heinous act], this will be their ending,” he said.
Meanwhile, the victim’s mother also praised the lawyers for presenting “a strong case”, saying that she was “happy to get justice from a Pakistani court”.
Call records, screenshots submitted
During today’s hearing at the district court, prosecutor Naveed Kiayani concluded his final arguments and detailed the evidence presented during the trial.
He said the prosecution had produced 27 witnesses before the court and submitted medical and other documentary evidence on record.
The prosecutor stated that the accused was arrested the day after the incident and later subjected to identification proceedings.
He added that doctors from PIMS also testified, with medical reports confirming severe injuries and indicating that the firing was carried out with the intent to kill.
According to the prosecution, the victim suffered fatal injuries to the heart and lungs due to gunfire.
He further told the court that the investigation officer recovered the victim’s mobile phone, which helped trace the accused’s number, while the father of the deceased identified the phone from the case property.
The prosecution also stated that call records and chat screenshots linked the accused to the case, and the judge directed that the recovered mobile phone be produced in court.
It was further submitted that the accused attempted to dispose of evidence and was traced through digital and investigative leads.
The prosecutor also read out the statement of the victim’s mother, Farzana Yousaf, stating she remained at home at the time of the incident and later witnessed developments following the crime.
Eyewitnesses, he added, confirmed key details including identification of the accused and descriptions of the weapon and clothing.
The court was informed that the post-mortem examination began late at night and supported the prosecution’s version of events.
The defence counsel reiterated arguments seeking capital punishment, while earlier proceedings included requests for strict punishment by the complainant’s lawyer.
The court also heard that identification witnesses had not seen any prior images of the accused before the identification process.
The judge was informed that the prosecution had completed its arguments, after which the verdict was reserved.
