She celebrated her 17th birthday just days ago. A promising, talented, young girl whose life was just beginning to bloom. She was brutally killed for asserting her boundaries; for having a voice of her own; for 'daring' to have autonomy. Sana Yousaf's murder is not just another headline. It is a devastating reminder of how deeply rooted misogyny and entitlement continue to plague our society.
Sana Yousaf murder case
Pakistani social media star Sana Yousaf was shot dead at her Islamabad home on June 2, allegedly by 22-year-old Umar Hayat Kaka, whose advances she rejected "again and again." The accused tried to contact her persistently on social media because he wanted to "become her friend." However, Yousaf did not reciprocate his interest, police said.
On the day of the murder, Hayat, a Faisalabad resident, travelled 320 km to the capital city to meet Yousaf. After hours of no response, he broke into her home at around 5 p.m. and shot at her at point-blank range, the FIR filed by her mother states. Two bullets struck her in the chest. She was rushed to the hospital and declared dead.
Hayat reportedly took Yousaf's phone with him before fleeing the scene, likely to erase evidence. The Islamabad Police arrested him in Faisalabad. "A monster, cold-blooded murderer is now in the law's grip," said Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi at a press conference. The phone and murder weapon were later recovered.
Initial reports speculated that the shooting was carried out by a relative or friend in a case of honour killing. However, police ruled out that angle. "Attempts were made to give the incident another angle... It was a blind murder; there were no leads, and things were not clear," Inspector General Rizvi said, calling the case "very challenging."
Rejection and male ego
Sana Yousaf's murder is not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern that strips women of their control and autonomy. In South Asia, gender-based violence is so entrenched that it often hides in plain sight and is excused until it ends in tragedy. This is not a case of unrequited affection. It is a story of male entitlement and patriarchy.
South Asian society celebrates the culture of romantic persistence—stalking, harassing, and emotionally coercing women—in the name of passion and devotion. Meanwhile, victim-blaming continues to be a deeply ingrained societal reflex, where a woman is shamed for showing her face in public and questioned for "leading someone on."
A 22-year-old man who could not comprehend 'no', whose ego was hurt because a minor girl would not validate him, responded with violence instead of reflecting or restraining. Umar Hayat Kaka, like many desi men, is the product of a deeply entrenched system that teaches men that they are owed a woman's time, body, and freedom.
The girl did not have to pay the price for her free will. She did not have to become another victim of femicide because an adult man, at least five years older than her, could not digest her disinterest. Sana Yousaf’s legacy must not be one of tragedy alone, but of a reckoning that challenges how we raise our sons, how we listen to our daughters.
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