The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected a petition filed by the prime accused in the murder case of Pakistani TikToker Sana Yousuf, refusing to transfer the trial to another court.
A single bench of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition filed by the accused, Umair Hayat, and after reserving the verdict earlier, pronounced its decision rejecting the transfer request. The IHC directed the trial court judge, Muhammad Afzal Majokah, to continue hearing the case.
Sana Yousuf, a popular 17-year-old TikToker from Islamabad, was shot dead at her home on June 2, 2025, just days after her birthday. The accused, 22-year-old Umar Hayat, also known as “Kaka,” had been stalking and harassing her for months after she repeatedly rejected his advances.
According to investigators, Hayat forced entry into her home, shot her in front of her mother and aunt, and fled afterward. He also took her mobile phone in an attempt to erase evidence of her rejections. Authorities later recovered both the weapon and the phone.
Sana’s murder drew nationwide condemnation and reignited a fierce debate over women’s safety in Pakistan, though some online comments disgracefully blamed the victim herself.
Hayat was formally indicted in September 2025 and pleaded not guilty, insisting the charges were false. With the IHC now dismissing the transfer request, the trial will move forward in the same sessions court, giving Sana’s family one step closer to justice.
