A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has handed down a death sentence to the man convicted of murdering 19-year-old TikTok star Hareem Shah – a case that has drawn international condemnation and exposed the brutal underbelly of online fame in a country where social media influencers often operate without protection.
Sources confirm the verdict was delivered in a closed hearing in Lahore on Wednesday, with the judge citing the “premeditated and heinous nature” of the crime. The killer, identified as 22-year-old Mohammad Usman, was arrested within hours of the stabbing in February after a viral video showed him fleeing the scene. But the story doesn’t end there. Uncovered documents – including phone records and text messages – reveal a web of threats and intimidation that Shah had reported to local police just weeks before her death. Officers failed to act, sources say, raising questions about institutional complicity in the violence that targets women who dare to build a public profile.
The UK government was quick to react, with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly calling for “urgent measures to protect women and girls across Pakistan from such appalling violence.” A statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office went further, urging Islamabad to enforce existing cybercrime laws and ensure that victims receive “timely protection.” But critics – including human rights groups – note that British condemnation rings hollow when the UK itself has failed to curb online abuse against women.
Hareem Shah’s murder is not an isolated incident. She is one of several female influencers in Pakistan who have been targeted for their work. In December 2021, TikTok star Minahil Khan was shot dead outside her home in Peshawar. In both cases, the killers were men who claimed to be “honouring” their victims’ families. But the reality is more sordid: Shah’s killer was a former classmate who reportedly became obsessed after she rejected his advances. The court heard he stalked her for months, tracking her movements with a stolen phone and a network of friends who now face conspiracy charges.
Today’s sentence is a rare victory. Pakistan’s judiciary is notoriously slow and often bows to political pressure. But sources inside the court say the evidence was overwhelming: DNA, CCTV, and a confession. Even so, the killer’s family has vowed to appeal, and legal experts warn that capital cases here can drag on for years – if they survive appeal at all. The conviction rate for murder in Pakistan hovers around 30 per cent, and executions are rare: the country lifted a de facto moratorium in 2014 but has since carried out only a handful of sentences.
The UK’s condemnation is a useful headline, but it changes little on the ground. In 2023, a United Nations report documented a 40 per cent surge in online harassment and physical attacks against women in Pakistan, with police often dismissing complaints as “minor disputes.” The same report noted that Pakistan’s anti-terrorism courts – used here – now handle an increasing number of “honour killings” and gender-based violence cases, a sign, perhaps, that the state is finally recognising the scale of the problem. But for Hareem Shah, it’s too little, too late. The judge’s gavel fell, but the silence left behind is the sound of a system that fails its most vulnerable.
As for the UK’s position: the Government’s statement called the attack “a terrible act of violence against a young woman exercising her right to expression.” They are right. But words without action are just noise. We will be watching to see if London follows up with concrete support for Pakistan’s struggling women’s safety initiatives – or if this becomes another forgotten tweet in the scroll of digital outrage.
For now, Hareem Shah’s family says they feel “a measure of justice” but warn that the fight is not over. The killer’s appeal will be heard in the Lahore High Court within weeks. We will have developments as they emerge.
