ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A district and sessions court in federal capital has sentenced Umar Hayat to death in a case related to the murder of social media influencer Sana Yousuf.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict in the high-profile case, during which the prosecution presented call records and chat screenshots of the accused. The victim’s lawyer requested the court to award the death penalty twice, citing the gravity of the crime.
Umar Hayat’s defense counsel argued that the accused had expressed distrust toward the trial court and the state counsel, and noted that two of his appeals are still pending before the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The lawyer claimed that a pre-determined intention to sentence the accused to death would be unjust.
During the hearings, Umar Hayat had denied committing the crime, asserting that he had no connection with Sana Yousuf and had not confessed to her murder.
The judge questioned him regarding a phone number identified as "Kaka" found on the victim’s phone, which forensic analysis linked to Umar Hayat. The accused stated that he could not respond without his lawyer present.