AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad: A man has been charged in Pakistan over the killing of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf who had repeatedly rejected his advances. Ms. Yousaf’s murder in June drew widespread condemnation but also some comments appearing to blame her, igniting a fierce debate about women on social media.
According to BBC, Umar Hayat, 22, was arrested and confessed to the murder soon after her death, but pleaded not guilty in Islamabad’s district court on Saturday. Hayat, the son of a former public servant and a TikToker himself, was arrested soon after.
Ms. Yousaf already had a wide following in Pakistan, with half a million fans on Instagram before her death. Her TikTok account gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight, and now stands at more than two million. Condolences flooded her social media pages, where she shared videos of her favorite cafes, skincare products, and traditional outfits.
Her last video on Instagram showed her surrounded by balloons and cutting a cake for her birthday. TikTok is very popular in Pakistan, with many women finding both an audience and income on the app, which is rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of women participate in the formal economy.