Islamabad, April 15, 2026: The Islamabad High Court has completed hearing and reserved its judgment on a petition filed by the alleged killer of Sana Yousaf, seeking transfer of the case from the trial court.
The petition filed by accused Umar Hayat was heard by IHC Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar. The petition requested that the case be moved to another court, alleging concerns over the conduct of the trial proceedings and seeking the opportunity for cross-examination to be reconsidered.
During the hearing, arguments were presented by both the defence and the prosecution. The defence counsel contended that the trial court’s conduct had raised objections from their side and requested that the case be shifted to another court. They also sought restoration of cross-examination proceedings.
The prosecution opposed the plea, stating that the trial court had provided adequate opportunities to the defence and that repeated delays had already affected the pace of proceedings.
After hearing detailed arguments from both sides, Chief Justice Dogar reserved the decision on the transfer application.
Observers said that the case transfer plea was filed in order to delay the trial in the high profile case that has been under process in the trial court for over 10 months.
The Islamabad-based social media influencer was shot dead inside her residence in Islamabad on June 2, 2025. The accused was arrested from his hometown of Faisalabad the next day.
Her family has already expressed frustration over the delay as the trial court is still in the process of recording the statements of 31 prosecution witnesses.
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