Series of TikTok Influencer Murders Highlights Violence Against Women in Pakistan

Shamso Bibi, known on TikTok as Ayesha Gilamana and followed by more than 1.3 million users, was shot dead in Taxila on August 14, the day Pakistan celebrates independence; her brother said the motive involved a financial dispute and appealed to Punjab’s chief minister for action. Earlier this year, TikTok creator Sana Javed was killed by her husband in Islamabad after domestic arguments, while 17-year-old influencer Sana Yousaf was murdered in her home by a man who had previously been rejected, prompting disturbing online praise.

Other recent killings include U.S.-born teenager Hira Anwar, shot by her father in Quetta over her TikTok content, and 17-year-old Mehak Shahzadi, also killed by her father for refusing to delete her profile. The article also notes forced conversions and abductions of Christian girls, such as the case of Maria Shahbaz, who was taken, converted, and married to her abductor. These incidents are presented as part of a wider climate of gender-based violence linked to cultural and legal frameworks that marginalize women.