Samiya Hijab reveals harrowing details about 'friend-turned-abuser'

In a fresh revelation, social media personality Samiya Hijab has spoken out about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Hasan Zahid, a man she once considered a close friend and later entered into a relationship with, describing how their relationship spiralled into threats, violence, and blackmail.

The Islamabad-based social media influencer, in an interview with Geo Digital, said she had known Hasan for six months when he proposed to her with a gold ring, a gesture that marked the start of their relationship.

Hijab had posted a video about her alleged attempted abduction on Instagram this week, following which police arrested Hasan.

In the interview, the influencer said that although she had asked for several years before committing to marriage, pressure from Hasan and his family to formalise their relationship mounted.

Matters worsened, she recalled, after the killing of her friend Sana Yousaf, her friend and internet personality, which left her fearful and led her to distance herself from Hasan.

He interpreted this as rejection and began to pressurise her to marry him, even threatening her mother that he would “break her legs” if the wedding did not take place.

The influencer — who has more than 800K followers on Instagram and over 200K on TikTok — described repeated episodes of physical violence. She recounted how Hasan beat her during a car journey from Lahore to Islamabad, slapping her every few seconds until her face was swollen.

He also allegedly tried to abduct her from outside her home, threatened to kill her, and warned that he would throw acid on her. Hijab said she deleted personal material from Hasan’s phone early on, fearing misuse, but alleged that he continued to leak and circulate private content in an attempt to blackmail her.

'Fear'

Despite the risks of public exposure, Hijab said she refused to remain silent: “Many girls in our country stay quiet out of fear. At the end of the day, they are the ones who get killed. I did not want to be among them.”

She remains concerned for her safety, warning that Hasan is “a danger for me today and tomorrow, and for all girls”. Even after she lodged a police complaint, she claimed he returned the following day in a black vehicle without number plates, armed with a pistol, and issued fresh death threats.

Hijab expressed gratitude for the full security provided by Islamabad police but urged the courts to hand down an exemplary sentence. “If even one person had been given such a punishment before, these cases would not continue,” she said, calling for deterrence so that “fear sits in the hearts of men”.

She also revealed her ambition to establish an organisation for women subjected to abuse, saying she wanted victims to have a place to turn to before they suffered the fate of being burnt or killed by their spouses.