ISLAMABAD: A district and session court on Tuesday appointed a state counsel in the murder case of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf to represent the accused due to the continued absence of the defense lawyer. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, while hearing the case, took notice of the defense counsel’s unavailability and conduct during proceedings. The court directed that the accused Umar Hayat will now be represented by a state-appointed lawyer. Sana Yousaf was shot dead at her residence in Sector G-13/1 on June 2, 2025. During the hearing, Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kiani appeared before the court and argued that the defense counsel was deliberately attempting to delay the trial. He stated that the defense had previously failed to cross-examine any witnesses and only conducted cross-examination at the last hearing following directives from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). State counsel Tariq Khan appointed by the court has since completed cross-examination of one witness, while the statement of the victim’s father has also been recorded. Prosecution has recorded statements from a total of 23 witnesses in this case. The court has summoned more witnesses for the next hearing to be held March 18. The city police had arrested Hayat on June 3, a day after Yousaf was killed at her house. Following the arrest of Hayat, a First Information Report (FIR) of the murder was registered at Sumbal police station against an unidentified man on the complaint of Sana’s mother, Farzana Yousaf, invoking Section 302 (intentional murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Copyright Business Recorder, 2026