Police in Rawalpindi, Pakistan have arrested a father accused of fatally shooting his 16-year-old daughter after she refused to delete her TikTok account, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
According to police reports, the murder, which occurred on Tuesday, was carried out under the pretext of "honour" - a term commonly used in South Asian societies to justify violence against women perceived to have brought shame upon their families.
"The girl's father had asked her to delete her TikTok account. On refusal, he killed her," a police spokesperson told reporters.
Investigators revealed that the family initially attempted to frame the incident as a suicide. However, a thorough police investigation uncovered evidence leading to the father's arrest in Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
Rising Violence Against Women on Social Media
This tragedy follows a similar case last month involving 17-year-old TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf, who had amassed over a million followers across her social media accounts. Yousaf was murdered in her home by a man whose romantic advances she had reportedly rejected.
These disturbing events highlight the growing number of attacks on women and girls in Pakistan linked to their online presence, particularly on platforms such as TikTok. The app has surged in popularity across the country, offering many women a rare opportunity for both self-expression and income generation in a society where fewer than a quarter of women participate in the formal economy.
Despite TikTok's accessibility and appeal, it remains controversial in Pakistan. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has frequently threatened to ban the app, citing "immoral behaviour" and concerns over LGBTQ and sexual content.
Digital Gender Gap and Honor Violence
While TikTok has become a voice for many Pakistani women, stark gender inequality in digital access persists. According to the Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025, only 30 percent of women in Pakistan own a smartphone, compared to 58 percent of men - the widest such gap in the world.
This is not the first time so-called honour violence has been linked to social media activity in the country. Earlier this year, in Balochistan, a man confessed to arranging the killing of his 14-year-old daughter, claiming her TikTok videos had compromised the family's honour.
The case has reignited concerns about the safety of women and girls who seek expression through digital platforms in conservative societies, where traditional values often clash with modern forms of self-expression.
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