Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka recorded the statements of the mother and paternal aunt of well-known TikToker Sana Yousaf in her murder case.
The court also summoned officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) regarding threats made to the defense lawyer and adjourned the hearing until January 27.
The accused, Umar Hayat, was presented in court. At the start of the hearing, no lawyer was present for him, prompting the judge to ask about his counsel. Umar Hayat stated that his lawyer had planned to attend later.
The court adjourned until 12:00pm. When the hearing resumed, Umar Hayat’s lawyer, Chaudhry Rizwan Ilahi, appeared and informed the court that he had been receiving continuous threats for representing the accused.
Rizwan Ilahi explained that he had been threatened through video calls and messages, with claims that the perpetrators had links to Afghanistan. He said he was being pressured to withdraw from the case, and that threats increased after he filed an appeal in the High Court.
Sana Yousaf’s lawyers stated that any threats should be addressed legally but suggested that such tactics might be used to delay the proceedings. Rizwan Ilahi also accused the victim’s lawyers of making unnecessary public statements about the ongoing case on social media and giving strong remarks outside the court.
The judge expressed strong displeasure over this and instructed Sana Yousaf’s lawyers to refrain from posting videos or statements about the case online.
Following this, the victim’s mother, Farzana Yousaf, recorded her statement in court. She became emotional while recounting the events. Farzana Yousaf stated that her son, Yawar Yousaf, was away in Chitral for summer holidays, while her daughter-in-law, Latifaan Shah, was at home.
Later, Sana Yousaf’s paternal aunt, Bibi Latifaan Shah, also recorded her statement in court.
