Significant progress has been made in the investigation of TikToker Sana Yousaf’s murder, as the primary suspect, Umar Hayat, has reportedly confessed to killing the 17-year-old social media star after she refused to meet him on multiple occasions.

According to police sources, Umar Hayat -- who falsely presented himself as a wealthy landlord but is actually the son of a retired Grade-16 government employee -- travelled from Faisalabad to Islamabad twice in a rented luxury SUV to try and meet Sana.

Murder motivated by rejection

On May 29, the day of Sana’s birthday, Hayat arrived at her residence with cake and gifts in a rented SUV. However, the victim refused to see him. Undeterred, he returned on June 2 at around 5pm, once again in a rented vehicle, and waited outside her home for several hours. When Sana again declined to meet him, Hayat, allegedly enraged by the repeated rejections, killed her.

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Police say that the suspect’s confession was recorded before a magistrate, during which he admitted to being hurt by Sana’s refusal and committing the murder in anger.

Escape and arrest

Following the crime, Hayat abandoned the rented vehicle in Islamabad and used public transport to return to Faisalabad. At the time of his arrest, he was found with only a few hundred rupees in his pocket. Authorities also revealed that he had not paid for the car rental, and the owner of the rental service appeared after his arrest to demand the unpaid dues.

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The suspect had initially tried to flee by booking a bike ride, switching to a taxi, and finally boarding a bus to Faisalabad.

Court proceedings and remand

Umar Hayat was presented before Duty Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shahzad at Islamabad District Court, where the police requested approval for an identification parade. The request was granted, and the magistrate ordered the suspect to be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

Hayat was brought into court with a cloth covering his face.