Karachi man shoots dead two sisters over TikTok use, police say

Sobia, 25, and Hira, 20, were killed at home in New Rehmanabad. Police said their brother, who fled, had warned them against using TikTok.

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A protester holds a placard reading Cause of death: TikTok, She said no, Stop victim blaming
Demonstrators hold placards at a protest against violence against women in Islamabad after the killing of TikTok creator Sana Yousaf in June 2025. File photo. — AFP

— A man shot dead his two sisters inside their Karachi home on Wednesday, apparently because they used TikTok against his wishes, police said.

Sobia, 25, and Hira, 20, were killed at their home in New Rehmanabad in the Drigh Road area, within the jurisdiction of Shah Faisal Colony police, Korangi Senior Superintendent of Police Fida Husain Janwari told Dawn. Police named the suspect as their brother, Rehan.

The initial investigation suggested that he had warned his sisters against using TikTok, which appeared to be a possible motive, the officer said. The suspect fled the scene and police are trying to arrest him. He has a criminal record and has been arrested and jailed several times, the SSP said. The bodies were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

Women online

The killings are the latest in a series of attacks on women in Pakistan over their presence on social media. In June 2025, 17-year-old TikTok creator Sana Yousaf was shot dead at her home in Islamabad, prompting protests under the slogan “Stop victim blaming”. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded at least 405 so-called honour killings in 2024, most of the victims women killed by relatives.

TT Karachi Bureau

Reporting from Karachi and across Sindh by The Thursday Times' Karachi bureau.

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