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

ISLAMABAD — The father of Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old TikTok influencer who was fatally shot when a man broke into her family’s home in Islamabad in June, said Thursday he hopes for a speedy trial for the suspect as court proceedings continue.

Syed Yousaf Hassan spoke after attending the latest hearing in the case of his daughter, who was killed on June 2. Police say the 22-year-old Umar Hayat fired two shots at the teenager, stole her phone, and fled. He has denied the charges as the high-profile trial 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 proceedings have drawn wide attention in Pakistan, where the public widely condemned the killing and called for accountability. 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 Yousaf’s family, told The Associated Press that the court recorded testimony from a police officer who recovered the pistol used in the attack. The suspect’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 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 death, she posted a photo from a birthday celebration with friends. She had a wide following in Pakistan, with about 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.