Pakistani Influencer Sana Yousaf Shot Dead By Man She Rejected "Again And Again"

Pakistani social media influencer Sana Yousaf was shot dead at her home in Islamabad by a man she rejected "again and again", authorities said. The teenager, who celebrated her 17th birthday on May 29, was killed on June 2 in front of her mother and aunt.

Islamabad Police on Monday arrested the main suspect, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, a resident of Faisalabad, around 320 km from the capital.

"A monster, cold-blooded murderer is now in the law's grip," said Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi at a press conference.

He said Hayat tried to contact Ms Yousaf persistently but was "rejected by her again and again."

The suspect wanted to "become friends" with Ms Yousaf and made repeated attempts to connect with her, Mr Rizvi said.

On the day of the murder, Umar Hayat made an attempt to meet Ms Yousaf for several hours but failed. After multiple rejections and no response, he forcefully entered her home and shot her, police said.

"First, it was a cellular rejection. Now, it was a physical mode of rejection," Mr Rizvi said.

The First Information Report (FIR) filed by Ms Yousaf's mother says the shooter barged in with a pistol around 5 pm and shot the 17-year-old at point-blank range. Two bullets struck her in the chest. She was rushed to the hospital but could not be revived.

According to police, Umar Hayat completed only his matriculation and came from a lower-middle-income background with "no source of income." Investigators say he took Ms Yousaf's mobile phone with him after the shooting, likely in an attempt to erase evidence.

"Attempts were made to give the incident another angle," Mr Rizvi added, "even though the aim of taking the mobile was to wipe out the clues."

Both the phone and the murder weapon were later recovered.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on X that the accused confessed to the murder and that the weapon had been found.

Earlier reports speculated the shooting was carried out by a relative or a guest, and may have been a case of dishonour killing. Police soon ruled out that angle. "It was a blind murder; there were no leads, and things were not clear," Mr Rizvi said, describing the probe as "very challenging."

He said the suspect's arrest followed multiple search operations, three in Islamabad and eight across other cities.