On Wednesday, an Islamabad district court granted the police’s request to conduct an identification parade for Umar Hayat, the main suspect accused of the brutal murder of TikToker Sana Yousaf. The court also issued a 14-day judicial remand, sending Umar Hayat to jail.
Duty Magistrate Ahmed Shahzad passed the order during a hearing at Islamabad District Court, acting on a formal application submitted by the investigating officer handling the case.
Read more: Sana Yousaf Murder Case: Killer Confessed, Traced Through CCTV and Phone Data
Umar Hayat, charged with murder at the Sumbal Police Station, appeared in court with his face covered. The session was marked by the magistrate’s visible frustration over the absence of the district prosecutor.
“Where is the prosecutor of my court?” the judge asked impatiently. “Usually, lawyers don’t attend, but today, everyone seems present except the prosecutor.”
Due to the prosecutor’s absence, the magistrate halted proceedings and summoned the district prosecutor. When informed that the prosecutor was on leave, the duty prosecutor offered to proceed, but Magistrate Shahzad declined to continue without the official prosecutor present.
“The case will proceed only when the district prosecutor is here,” the magistrate declared before adjourning the hearing indefinitely.
After the adjournment, police took Umar Hayat back to the prison van.
The incident dates back to June 2, when Sana Yousaf, a young TikToker living in Sector G-13, Islamabad, was fatally shot in her home under the jurisdiction of Sumbal police. The assailant fled immediately after the shooting, prompting police to launch an extensive manhunt.
The next day, Umar Hayat was arrested in Faisalabad as the prime suspect. During initial interrogations, police say he confessed to the murder.
Authorities were able to trace Umar using CCTV footage, mobile phone location data, and other technical evidence. They also recovered the pistol believed to be the murder weapon from him.
Investigations revealed that Umar and Sana had been in contact for some time, and the killing was planned in advance. On the day of the crime, Umar reportedly parked his motorcycle near Sana’s residence in Sector G-13 and fled the scene on it after shooting her.
CCTV footage showed the suspect running away on foot, which played a key role in narrowing the investigation and leading to his arrest.
