Suspect in Pakistani TikToker’s murder sent to jail

A Pakistani court ordered on Tuesday a 14-day judicial remand for the prime suspect in the murder of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf, sending him to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail for the purpose of an identification parade.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Umar Hayat, was presented before a magistrate in Islamabad under heavy police escort, with his face concealed to protect the integrity of the identification process. Prosecutors requested judicial custody, which the court granted, directing authorities to bring Hayat back to court on June 18.

The judge also instructed jail officials to ensure that the suspect is not allowed any meetings with visitors before the identification parade is completed.

In its written order, the court noted that the case involves a “heinous” act of murder, warranting strict procedural safeguards.

Hayat was arrested a day earlier from his hometown of Jaranwala near Faisalabad. According to Islamabad police, the 22-year-old had been obsessively pursuing the 17-year-old content creator and allegedly killed her after she repeatedly rejected his advances.

Sana, a rising social media personality with hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, was shot dead inside her home in Islamabad’s G-13 sector on June 2. Her death sparked countrywide outrage and grief.

Speaking to Nukta, Senator Falak Naz, who hails from Chitral -- Sana’s ancestral region -- said, “We are all deeply shocked by this gruesome murder. The swift arrest of the suspect by Islamabad police is commendable.”