A court in Pakistan has sentenced a man to death over the murder of a teen social media influencer that sparked uproar across the country.
Umar Hayat broke into the home of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf in June last year after she rejected his repeated advances, and shot her dead.
Hayat, now 23, admitted his crime in July, saying he had developed a one-sided obsession with Yousaf after some interactions online.
Yousaf's father, Syed Yousaf Hassan, expressed that the verdict handed down by the Islamabad court was a lesson for all such criminals in society, according to local media.
The court also ordered Hayat to pay 2.5 million rupees ($9,000; £6,700) as compensation to Yousaf's family.
Investigations revealed that Hayat had traveled to Islamabad days before the killing to wish Yousaf well on her birthday. Although she refused to meet him, he managed to confront her at her home, leading to a heated argument that escalated into the fatal shooting.
Prior to her death, Yousaf had more than a million followers on TikTok and half a million on Instagram, known for her enjoyable content, including fashion trends and lip-syncing. Activists have pointed out her murder is representative of a larger pattern of violence against women in Pakistan.
While many have condemned the act, there has also been criticism directed towards Yousaf's work as an influencer, with some suggesting her family should take down her social media accounts.
Farzana Bari, a prominent human rights activist, characterized these reactions as misogynistic and patriarchal, emphasizing the threats female content creators face in the social media landscape in Pakistan.
