Pakistani court to declare charges against murderer of content creator Sana Yousaf next week

An Islamabad district court on Friday scheduled September 10 for the distribution of charges in the murder case of 17-year-old Pakistani content creator Sana Yousaf, who was killed at her home on June 2, 2025.

The case has drawn national and international attention due to the brutal nature of the crime and widespread condemnation of violence against women in Pakistan that followed.

The distribution of the charges takes place a week before the suspect is indicted and represents a crucial step forward in the legal proceedings, formally outlining the evidence against the accused and moving the case toward trial.

At Friday's hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka ordered the mandatory appearance of the accused, Umar Hayat, who was not present in court. All parties will receive copies of the charges at the next hearing, with a formal charge date to be set afterward.

Sana Yousaf was a rising voice in Pakistan's growing digital media scene. She was shot dead in her bedroom in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Hayat was arrested the following day in Jaranwala, his ancestral village in Punjab province, about 200 miles from Islamabad.

Police conducted an identification parade at Adiala Jail on June 13. Yousaf's mother and aunt formally identified Hayat during this proceeding, which is standard practice in Pakistan's legal system.

Significant forensic evidence collected

According to the charge sheet, investigators have collected significant forensic and digital evidence linking Hayat to the crime.

Police recovered blood samples using cotton swabs from the room where Yousaf was killed, as well as the accused's fingerprints from a mirror in the bedroom.

The fingerprints were verified through Pakistan's National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA). Two spent bullet casings were also recovered from the scene.

The 30-bore pistol used in the killing was later recovered at the accused's direction from a railway track where he had allegedly discarded it after the murder. Call data records place Hayat in Islamabad on the day of the crime.

Two mobile phones belonging to Sana Yousaf were also recovered: one from the crime scene and another from Hayat's residence.

Evidence links accused to crime

Statements from the owner and driver of a rental vehicle used by Hayat have further strengthened the prosecution's case. A blood-stained piece of carpet from the crime scene was sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency for analysis.

The autopsy report concluded that Yousaf was shot twice in the chest. The bullets damaged her right lung and heart, resulting in cardiopulmonary arrest. Death occurred within two to three minutes of sustaining the injuries. Additional damage was noted to her ribs, blood vessels, and internal organs.

The charge sheet lists 31 prosecution witnesses expected to testify during the trial.