Murder of Tikk-Star: The Sana Yousaf case shakes Pakistan!

Murder of Tikk-Star: The Sana Yousaf case shakes Pakistan!

Chuinj, Pakistan - The tragedy around 17-year-old Tikok-Influencer Sana Yousaf shaked Pakistan. On Monday she was shot in her home town of Chitral, about 400 km north of Islamabad. The police arrested a 22-year-old unemployed man who is suspected of having committed the murder. He had contacted Yousaf in vain before the fatal incident occurred, which was seen as another example of female female in Pakistan. Yousaf was registered by her mother as dead on Monday at 5 p.m. after she was shot twice in the chest.

Your last post on the popular Tikok platform, where she had 1.1 million followers, showed a celebration of her birthday. A little later there was the incident that cost her life, and on Tuesday she was buried in her home village. The suspect had stolen Yousaf's cell phone to remove evidence, but the police were able to secure both the cell phone and the murder weapon.

a worrying pattern

feminist groups and human rights organizations demand justice for Yousaf and emphasize patriarchal violence that threatens women in Pakistan. The case comes at a time when violence against women in society is increasingly recognized as a problem. According to Nighat Dad, the director of the Digital Rights Foundation, Yousaf's murder is part of a troubling pattern, since more and more women who are striving for visibility and independence are victims of violence. In 2024, 346 women were killed in Pakistan on behalf of the "honor", which is an increase compared to 2023.

Pakistan Interior Minister confirmed the arrest of the suspect and underlined the need for a comprehensive examination of the crime. The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) has also pointed out the urgency to deal with the causes of violence against women.

legal situation and challenges for women in Pakistan

Although women's rights in Pakistan are protected by the constitution and various laws, awareness of these rights is often very low. According to various reports, social norms and a lack of knowledge of legal protective measures can prevent women from claiming their rights. It is articles such as Article 25 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, as well as Article 37, which promotes education for everyone that theoretically offer a legal scaffolding.

Reality for many women in Pakistan, however, remains precarious. Challenges in the form of cultural barriers, financial restrictions and concern about reprisals make access to justice difficult. This is how Khadija Siddiqui experienced, who was seriously injured in a knife attack in 2016 how hard and dangerous the struggle for justice for women in Pakistan can be. Siddiqui continues to fight for her rights and the rights of other women, despite the constant threats she receives.

The need to address gender discrimination in laws and their application is more urgent than ever. Organizations and legal platforms, such as the Pakistan Law, strive for legal education and support for women to help them enforce their rights and defend themselves against violence.

The murders of women such as Sana Yousaf and the experiences of women like Khadija Siddiqui illustrate that women in Pakistan are still exposed to a high risk and that a profound social change is necessary to create real security and equality.

The latest case has directed the eyes of the serious problems of violence against women in Pakistan, and while the official assure that justice is carried out, it remains to be seen how profound the reforms are and whether they bring the urgently needed changes.

Further information on the legally anchored rights of women in Pakistan can be found here , and the context of the challenges of women's rights in society is in this article dealt with detailed . For more about the incidents around Sana Yousaf, read .