Aseefa Condemns Murder of TikToker Sana Yousaf: “There’s Nothing That Excuses Murder”

Islamabad – First Lady and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday strongly condemned the brutal murder of 17-year-old social media influencer Sana Yousaf, calling it a harrowing reminder of the dangers women face for simply asserting their rights.

Sana, who had garnered a large following on TikTok for her lifestyle and beauty content, was killed at her home in Islamabad on the eve of her birthday. The suspect, a 22-year-old male TikToker, was arrested within 24 hours of the incident. According to police, he had been stalking Sana and resorted to violence after repeated online rejections.

“Sana was just a girl — with ambition, with dreams, with a life ahead of her,” Aseefa said in a heartfelt statement. “What happened to her wasn’t just an act of violence — it was a punishment for saying no. And that should horrify every one of us.”

The First Lady extended her condolences to Sana’s family, the people of Chitral — her hometown — and everyone mourning the tragic loss. She emphasized that violence driven by male entitlement and toxic masculinity must no longer be tolerated in any form.

“This mindset that a woman’s rejection is an insult, that her choices need to be controlled — it’s old, it’s cruel and it’s killing our daughters,” she said. Aseefa drew a powerful parallel to her mother, the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who, she said, “broke those walls with her own strength” and paved the way for women’s empowerment.

She also addressed the surge of online abuse targeting Sana after her death, condemning attempts to justify the crime based on the victim’s social media activity. “There is nothing — no app, no photo, no video — that excuses murder,” Aseefa asserted. “If that’s the logic, are we saying millions of girls across Pakistan are also at risk? This kind of thinking is not just dangerous — it’s inhumane.”

Concluding her remarks, the First Lady offered a message of solidarity to young women across the country. “To every girl watching this unfold — don’t let them silence you. You have the right to dream, to speak, to exist without fear. Don’t back down. If you do, they win. But if we keep pushing forward together, we’ll shape a country where girls aren’t blamed for their own deaths, but celebrated for their lives.”

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Sana Yousaf had over 800,000 followers on TikTok and was known for her positive presence online, sharing beauty tips, lip-sync videos, and brand promotions. Her death has sparked nationwide outrage and renewed calls for stronger protections against gender-based violence and online harassment.