ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday remanded Umar Hayat, the main suspect in the murder of TikToker Sana Yousaf, to judicial custody for 14 days.
Hayat, who was arrested on Tuesday from Faisalabad, was presented before Duty Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shehzad after a case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Sumbal Police Station.
The 17-year-old social media star, who had over a million followers across platforms, was shot twice at her home in Sector G-13/1 on Monday evening.
According to Islamabad Police, the suspect was apprehended within 20 hours of the crime through CCTV footage and mobile phone tracking. Hayat, 22, who is also a TikToker and known by the nickname “Kaka”, has confessed to the murder, claiming to be a friend of the victim.
At the time of the incident, Yousaf’s father was at work and her mother had gone to the market. Her 15-year-old brother was visiting Chitral after completing his exams. The family resided on the upper floor of the house where the shooting occurred.
Yousaf’s aunt, who was reportedly present during the incident, told police that the suspect had come to meet Sana. After a brief conversation, she overheard Sana saying: “Go away from here. There are cameras all around and I will get you some water,” before the suspect opened fire, shooting her twice in the chest.
Authorities confirmed Hayat fled to Faisalabad immediately after the attack.
Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the motive was linked to Hayat’s repeated attempts to contact Sana, which she had consistently rebuffed.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the absence of the court and district prosecutors drew strong criticism from Magistrate Ahmed Shehzad, who reprimanded the officials for their failure to appear.
The investigation is ongoing, with further proceedings expected after the completion of the judicial remand.
