The cycle is predictable, and that is what makes it so sickening. Another woman TikToker, Shamsu Bibi—known to her followers as Ayesha Gilamana—was gunned down in Punjab. She was twenty-eight. She was just living her life. Now, the conversation has moved from her brutal murder to the optics of her funeral.
We’ve seen this script play out before. When a woman in Pakistan builds a following, finds financial independence, or simply dares to exist publicly on an app like TikTok, she becomes a target. If she survives the threats, she might face the ultimate price. Then, the internet gathers to debate whether she deserved it or if her funeral was "well-attended enough."
It’s disgusting.
The Cost of Visibility
Let’s be blunt about why this keeps happening. TikTok provided these women with a rare path to financial independence in a country where female participation in the formal economy remains below 25 percent. It gave them a voice, a community, and a paycheck. But in a deeply patriarchal society, visibility is often treated as a provocation.
When women gain autonomy, the fragile egos around them react with violence. We aren't talking about "random acts of crime." We are talking about femicide rooted in control. Whether it’s a jilted suitor, an angry family member, or a "moral guardian" who hates that she posted a video, the motivation is always the same: silencing her.
Consider the case of Sana Yousaf. She was seventeen. She was murdered in her own home in Islamabad because she rejected a man’s advances. Did society collectively mourn? For many, the first instinct was to comment on her posts, claiming she "reaped what she sowed." They blamed the victim for the crime.
The Funeral Debate Is a Distraction
After Shamsu Bibi’s death, social media trolls began mocking her funeral. They pointed to the number of attendees, implying that because her online following didn't translate into a massive physical turnout, her life somehow held less value.
This isn't just cruel. It’s a calculated distraction.
By debating the funeral, the public shifts the focus away from the state’s failure. Where is the police accountability? Bibi’s brother had to publicly beg for the intervention of the Punjab Chief Minister because the local authorities couldn't bother to make an arrest. The state’s inability to protect its women—or even investigate their murders with urgency—is the real scandal.
Beyond the Viral Headlines
If you want to understand the reality, you have to look past the sensationalism. The pattern is clear:
- Economic Control: Women using social media platforms to earn money are often seen as "tarnishing" family honor.
- Systemic Impunity: Convictions are rare. Even when justice is served, it often comes only after intense public pressure.
- Digital Misogyny: The online space in Pakistan is weaponized against women. A woman who creates content is labeled "immoral," which serves as a convenient justification for violence.
Journalist Ammara Ahmad hit the nail on the head when she noted that Pakistani women receive zero grace in death. The digital mob stays active, dissecting their choices, their clothes, and their funeral attendance, rather than focusing on the men who pulled the triggers.
What Real Change Looks Like
We are tired of "renewed debates." We need action. If you’re looking for where to start, stop engaging with the noise.
- Demand Institutional Accountability: Stop focusing on the victims and start pressuring local representatives about police performance. When an influencer is murdered, the lack of an arrest is a political choice by local law enforcement.
- Support Independent Media: Outlets like Voicepk are often the only ones providing actual updates while mainstream news cycles move on to the next viral sensation.
- Challenge the Narrative: Next time you see a comment blaming a woman for her own murder because of her "choices," shut it down. Call it what it is: victim-blaming that fuels further violence.
These women were creators, earners, and humans. They weren't characters in a cautionary tale you get to critique. Until the state treats the murder of a woman with as much gravity as a political scandal, nothing will change.
The next time a headline pops up about a TikToker being killed, don't look for a debate. Look for the arrest report. If there isn't one, that is where your outrage belongs.
Stop waiting for a "pivotal" shift in culture. Demand consequences for the killers today.
