Father of teen TikTok influencer calls for justice as murder suspect appears in court

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The father of a teenage social media influencer who was killed at her family home in Pakistan in June said on Thursday he hopes for a speedy trial of the suspect.

Syed Yousaf Hassan spoke after attending the latest hearing in the case of his daughter, 17-year-old Sana Yousaf, who was fatally shot when her alleged killer broke into the property in Islamabad after she rejected his friendship request.

According to a police report, 22-year-old Umar Hayat fired two shots at the teenager, stole her phone, and then fled. He has denied the charges during the high-profile trial, which began last week.

“I am not fighting this case only to seek justice for my daughter,” Hassan told reporters outside the court. “I want all children who use social media to be protected from the pain my daughter suffered at the hands of a man who killed her. I will pursue this case until my last breath.”

He praised the investigation into his daughter’s death and said he hoped the judge would reach a verdict soon.

The June 2 killing drew nationwide condemnation, with many people online demanding harsh punishment for the suspect, who was arrested days after he fled to Faisalabad in Punjab. Hayat has repeatedly said that he was not behind the murder.

Looking composed, Hayat has been present in the courtroom for trial. Sardar Qadeer, a lawyer for the family of Yousaf, told The Associated Press that the court recorded testimony from a police officer who recovered the pistol used in the attack.

Hayat’s face was covered when he was escorted from the courtroom and taken back to jail. The next hearing is scheduled for Saturday.

Yousaf, originally from the scenic northern region of Chitral, was known for promoting traditional Chitrali music and dress on TikTok, where she also advocated for girls’ education. Hours before her killing, she had posted a photo from a birthday celebration with friends.

She had a wide following in Pakistan, with half a million fans on Instagram. After her death, hundreds of thousands of people began following her on TikTok, which is one of Pakistan’s most popular apps, with tens of millions of users.

Pakistan has suspended the platform several times, citing concerns that the app promotes immoral or unlawful content.