On Saturday, Attaullah Tarar, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, paid a visit to the family of the recently murdered TikTok star Sana Yousaf in Islamabad, offering his heartfelt condolences to her grieving parents.
The tragic death of the young influencer has sparked nationwide outrage, drawing widespread attention to issues surrounding social media platforms. After the visit, Tarar voiced strong condemnation of the killing and called for urgent legislative reforms to better regulate social media, including platforms like TikTok. He acknowledged the advantages of such platforms but highlighted their negative aspects, stressing that their use must be responsible.
The minister shared that both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had taken swift notice of Sana’s death. He commended the Islamabad police for their rapid response in apprehending the suspect within hours of the murder but emphasized that the case should not stop at the arrest. “Prosecution must proceed with full vigor,” Tarar asserted, revealing that a special committee had been formed to oversee the legal process and ensure justice.
Tarar also expressed disappointment in some members of the social media community who, in his view, showed more interest in posting tributes for likes than supporting the victim’s family or participating in the legal proceedings. He called on Sana’s peers to take the trial seriously and ensure the harshest possible penalty for the perpetrator. “This case must serve as a precedent,” he added.
He further urged that the memory of Sana’s murder not fade away, calling on both civil society and influencers to take a stand against violence.
The tragic incident occurred on June 2, when Sana Yousaf was fatally shot at her home in Islamabad’s G13 sector by a young man who had come to meet her. Police reports indicated that the suspect shot her after she repeatedly rejected his advances. The assailant fled the scene but was later apprehended in Faisalabad.
Sana’s body was sent to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for an autopsy. Islamabad’s Inspector General of Police, Ali Nasir Rizvi, described the murder as a “huge tragedy” and pledged that the police would handle the case with professionalism. He confirmed that Sana had been shot five times and explained that the motive behind the crime was the suspect’s obsessive desire for friendship, which had been continuously rejected by the victim.
