Today, we are holding this press conference with the full Islamabad Police team — including DIG Operations Islamabad Jawad, SSP Investigation Usman, SSP Operations Shoaib, and DSP CIA Suleman — all of whom are present here. We’ve gathered to discuss a case that has deeply shaken not only Islamabad but the entire country over the past 24 hours.
This is about a tragic incident involving a young, talented social media influencer — Sana Yousaf. At just 17 years old, she has made a significant mark on social media and influenced and inspired her audiences with her content and message. Tragically, on the 2nd of this month, she was savagely murdered in her own home within the Sumbal police jurisdiction. She was shot twice, and although she had suffered major injuries, she did not survive. This was murder in cold blood.
Her death is not only a huge loss but also a major challenge for us as a law enforcement agency. The question of who committed this crime and why needed immediate answers. People across Pakistan — from Punjab, KPK, Sindh, and Balochistan — were demanding justice.
Islamabad Police took this very seriously. Under extreme pressure, especially from the media, and all of our sisters, daughters, and our sister journalists, we agreed to resolve this case as quickly and professionally as we could. The incident occurred just after 5:00 PM on the 2nd. The assailant entered the house where he fired his weapon three times and fled. From that moment, we all acted.
Seven dedicated teams were formed due to the sensitivity of the case. They worked on cellular technology, digital surveillance, and social media scrutiny. They interrogated numerous individuals and conducted several raids. In total, we analyzed footage from 113 cameras, including both Safe City and private CCTV systems. Over 300 call detail records were examined, requiring the technical and human resources of all five divisions in Islamabad.
Importantly, Sana Yousaf’s mobile phone — an iPhone — was missing from the crime scene, likely taken by the killer to erase evidence and hinder the investigation. Still, through data analysis, social media investigation, and interrogating around 37 individuals, we were able to connect the dots and identify the suspect.
The next step was arresting the accused. This part of the operation was handled commendably by DIG Jawad, SSP Investigation, DSP CIA Salman Shah, and the SSP Operations teamEleven raids were executed; three were conducted in Islamabad, and the remaining raids were in various locations in Punjab — specifically Faisalabad and Jaranwala.
Eventually, there was an arrest of the main suspect — Umar, a 22-year-old from a lower-middle-class family in Faisalabad. His father is a retired Grade-16 government officer. Umar himself is matriculation-pass and has no stable means of income. He engaged in various promotional activities on Instagram and other platforms.
Before discussing the motive, I want to confirm that we have recovered the murder weapon and the victim’s mobile phone — which the accused took to destroy evidence.
