Court awards death sentence to Umar Hayat in Sana Yousaf murder case

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th May, 2026) The District & Sessions Court of Islamabad on Tuesday sentenced main accused Umar Hayat to death in the murder case of 18-year-old Sana Yousaf, who was shot dead at her home in Sector G-13/1 earlier this year.

The court also imposed prison terms and fines under multiple charges, including house trespass, robbery and possession of stolen property.

According to the court verdict, accused Umar Hayat was awarded the death sentence under Section 302 for the murder of Sana Yousaf. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 million on the convict.

Under Section 449 related to unlawful entry into a house, the convict was sentenced to 10 years in prison along with a fine of Rs 200,000. In the robbery case registered under Section 392, the court handed another 10-year jail term and a fine of Rs 200,000.

The court also sentenced the accused to one year imprisonment under Section 411 for possession of stolen property and imposed a fine of Rs 100,000.

The case began on May 29, 2025, when Sana Yousaf celebrated her 18th birthday and uploaded her final video on social media.

According to the investigation, on June 2, 2025, accused Umar Hayat allegedly entered Sana Yousaf’s house in Islamabad’s Sector G-13/1. Police said the accused opened fire after repeated rejection of his friendship proposal. Sana Yousaf sustained two bullet wounds to the chest and died at the scene. The accused allegedly fled after taking the victim’s mobile phone.

On June 3, 2025, a murder case under Section 302 was registered at Sumbal Police Station in Islamabad on the complaint of the victim’s mother.

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Later the same day, Islamabad Police arrested the accused from Faisalabad within 20 hours of the incident. Police officials said Safe City surveillance cameras and social media tracking helped identify and trace the suspect. Officers also recovered the murder weapon, a pistol, during the arrest operation.

After the arrest, the accused was shifted to Adiala Jail for an identification parade and further investigation. The court approved a 14-day physical remand for interrogation.

On June 13, 2025, Sana Yousaf’s mother and aunt identified Umar Hayat during the identification parade held at Adiala Jail.

On June 24, 2025, the accused recorded his confessional statement before Magistrate Saad Nazir under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Police completed the investigation and submitted the challan to the court, after which the accused was sent to jail on judicial remand.

The case also received attention at the parliamentary level. On July 8, 2025, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights took notice of increasing attacks on women influencers in the country and formally discussed the Sana Yousaf murder case.

The trial formally began on September 20, 2025, when the court in Islamabad framed charges against Umar Hayat. The accused denied the charges in court, leading to the recording of witness statements and further trial proceedings.

After several months of hearings, the court announced its verdict, awarding the death sentence and multiple prison terms to the convict.