‘I am very happy with the verdict. May such justice continue to be delivered in Pakistan,’ mother says
Sana Yousaf’s parents talk to the media outside the court after it announces the verdict in the murder case of their daughter, who was killed in June last year. SCREENGRAB
The parents of social media influencer Sana Yousaf on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the death sentence awarded to their daughter’s killer, saying justice had finally been served, while also demanding that the convict be publicly executed.
An Islamabad court announced the verdict in the murder case earlier today, sentencing Umar Hayat to death. Additionally, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison and fined a total of Rs2.5 million.
Speaking to the media outside the court, the victim’s mother thanked her team of lawyers and said she had received justice today. She also expressed gratitude to the police team, the judge and the media for their roles in the case.
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“I am very happy with the verdict. May such justice continue to be delivered in Pakistan. The criminal has received the right punishment,” she said, while calling for the convict to be hanged publicly.
Sana’s father also welcomed the verdict, saying the family had been waiting for this day for the past 11 months and that the judiciary had delivered a decision in accordance with the spirit of justice.
He said the verdict was not just for his family but for society as a whole, adding that it would serve as a lesson to criminals.
“This justice is not only for me but for the entire society,” he said, while thanking the legal team and the media for helping the case reach its logical conclusion.
He also praised the judiciary, saying Judge Afzal Majoka had delivered a decision based on justice and deserved appreciation for it.
Deputy Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain, while speaking to the media, said the prosecution had fulfilled all legal requirements during the trial and that the court had ruled in its favour.
Discussing the proceedings and evidence in the case, he said the eyewitnesses included the victim’s mother and aunt, who testified before the court about how Sana Yousaf was shot dead and how the accused fled after taking her mobile phone.
“We conducted an identification parade in court and the witnesses correctly identified the accused. His confessional statement was also on record, which further strengthened our case. The shells recovered matched the pistol seized from the accused,” he said.
He added that one of the most important pieces of evidence was the fingerprints found on a mirror in Sana’s room. According to him, the fingerprints were lifted and matched with Nadra’s fingerprint record of the accused.
He said the accused failed to present any plausible defence during the trial, after which Judge Majoka awarded him the death sentence under Section 302(b).
The deputy prosecutor described the verdict as important and welcome for the supremacy of law in the country, saying such decisions would create deterrence against crime in society and discourage people from committing such acts.
Sana, a 17-year-old TikToker, was shot and killed in Islamabad’s G-13 Sector in June 2025. She was shot at close range inside her home.
The killer had reportedly entered Sana’s house, opened fire, and then fled the scene. A murder case was subsequently registered against Hayat at the Sumbal Police Station and he was sent to jail for two weeks on judicial remand, two days after the murder.
In September, Hayat denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. Charges against him included murder and snatching the victim’s mobile phone. The denial came after he reportedly confessed to shooting Sana inside her home, according to investigators.
In January 2026, a District and Sessions Court in Islamabad recorded statements of Sana’s mother and aunt. With Judge Majoka hearing the case, Hayat was produced before the court, but no lawyer initially appeared on his behalf. With the resumption of the hearing, Sana’s mother and her aunt appeared before the court.
The mother recorded her statement, stating that her son was in Chitral due to summer vacations, while her sister-in-law was visiting their home. She said that at around 5pm, a man wearing a black shirt and blue trousers entered their house and fired two shots at Sana in the presence of both women. She added that the assailant fled with a pistol and Sana’s mobile phone.
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In April, the Islamabad High Court then reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Hayat seeking the transfer of the murder case to another court. Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, while hearing the case, remarked that if parties approached the high court, they should inform the trial court.
