ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district court on Wednesday approved a police request for the identification parade of Umar Hayat, the primary suspect in the brutal murder of TikToker Sana Yousuf, and ordered a 14-day judicial remand, sending him to jail.
The hearing took place before Duty Magistrate Ahmed Shahzad at the Islamabad District Court. Umar Hayat, who faces murder charges registered at Sumbal Police Station, was brought to court with his face covered.The proceedings briefly turned tense when Magistrate Shahzad expressed frustration over the absence of the district prosecutor. “Where are the prosecutors of my court?” the visibly annoyed judge asked. “Usually, lawyers don’t even show up—yet today everyone seems to be here.” After being informed that the district prosecutor was on leave, a duty prosecutor attempted to represent the prosecution. However, the judge refused to proceed in the absence of the designated prosecutor and adjourned the hearing until further notice. Following the adjournment, police escorted the suspect back to the prison van.
The case stems from the murder of 25-year-old TikToker Sana Yousuf, who was shot dead at her residence in Islamabad’s Sector G-13 on June 2. Originally from Upper Chitral, Sana was found dead in her home, with the suspect fleeing the scene immediately after the crime. A day later, Islamabad Police arrested Umar Hayat from Faisalabad. According to investigators, Umar confessed to the murder during initial interrogation. Police tracked him using CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and other technical means. A pistol, believed to be the murder weapon, was recovered from his possession.
Authorities revealed that the suspect had been in contact with Sana for some time and that the murder appeared to be premeditated. On the day of the killing, Umar allegedly parked his motorcycle near Sana’s residence, entered the house, committed the crime, and then fled on foot. CCTV footage captured him running from the scene, which helped investigators identify and locate him.
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