'There's nothing that excuses murder': Aseefa Bhutto decries Sana Yousaf's killing

First Lady and Member of National Assembly (MNA) Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday condemned the brutal murder of Sana Yousaf, who was killed on the eve of her 17th birthday, in Islamabad.

Calling it a stark reminder of the violence women and girls face simply for asserting their rights, Aseefa extended her condolences to Sana’s family, the community in Chitral, and all those grieving this senseless loss.

“Sana was just a girl — with ambition, with dreams, with a life ahead of her,” the first lady said. “She had every right to live freely and safely. What happened to her wasn’t just an act of violence — it was a punishment for saying no. And that should horrify every one of us.”

The young social media influencer was killed at her home in Islamabad on June 2, by a youngster who had repeatedly contacted her online and resorted to violence upon rejection. 

The 22-year-old man — also a TikToker who spent hours loitering outside Sana's home — was arrested on suspicion of her murder within 24 hours after the crime.

Sana had more than 800,000 followers on TikTok, a wildly popular social media platform in Pakistan, where she posted lip-sync videos, skincare tips, and promotional content for beauty products and clothing brands. 

Aseefa highlighted that violence stemming from male entitlement is neither new nor rare — and must no longer be tolerated under the guise of culture or tradition.

“This mindset that a woman’s rejection is an insult, that her choices need to be controlled — it’s old, it’s cruel and it’s killing our daughters. My mother, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, broke those walls with her own strength. She didn’t just lead — she opened doors for millions of women to follow. And we owe it to her legacy, and to young women like Sana, to keep those doors open.”

Addressing the wave of online abuse directed at Sana after her death, Aseefa rejected the idea that social media use or self-expression could ever be used to justify violence.

“There is nothing — no app, no photo, no video — that excuses murder. It’s disturbing to see people using Sana’s TikTok presence to explain away her death. If that’s the logic, are we saying millions of girls across Pakistan are also at risk? This kind of thinking is not just dangerous — it’s inhumane.”

She closed with a message of solidarity and defiance to young women across the country.

“To every girl watching this unfold — don’t let them silence you. You have the right to dream, to speak, to exist without fear. Don’t back down. If you do, they win. But if we keep pushing forward together we’ll shape a country where girls aren’t blamed for their own deaths, but celebrated for their lives.”