The gruesome murder of 17-year-old social media influencer Sana Yousaf in Islamabad has sent shockwaves across the country, with people condemning the incident and calling for swift justice. The teenager, who recently celebrated her birthday, was gunned down in front of her mother and aunt by an unidentified man who fled the scene, according to an FIR.

The Islamabad Police said that they had arrested the main suspect in the murder case. Addressing a press conference, Islamabad IG Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the culprit was a 22-year-old man arrested from Faisalabad and termed it a case of “repeated rejections”. Sana’s murder sparked nationwide concern, with celebrities condemning the incident on social media.

Sajal Aly questioned what kind of world we were living in as she called for justice. “The lack of empathy is terrifying. I just hope we as a society learn to feel, truly feel for others. To respect boundaries. To value life.” In a post on her Instagram, Durefishan Saleem wrote, “I’ve witnessed too many men unravel when a woman says no – their love twisting into anger, their respect turning into entitlement.” Saleem emphasised that women’s lives mattered. “They are not objects to be owned, silenced, or discarded when they say no. No one should live in fear of violence for asserting their basic rights.”

“When a woman’s voice is silenced by violence, it’s not just a life lost – it’s a mirror shattered for all of society,” Mohib Mirza wrote on Instagram. Singer Yasir Jaswal urged people to raise their sons better and prayed for patience for Sana’s parents.