Renowned actress Ayeza Khan is facing intense criticism after she posted an Instagram story about privacy, interpreted by many as an indirect commentary on the murder of 17-year-old TikToker Sana Yousaf.
The post, which read, “Privacy is a privilege, not everyone deserves access to your life. Think twice before putting everything online,” was widely condemned for being poorly timed and tone-deaf, especially given the wave of victim-blaming already circulating on social media.
ayeza khan once again effortlessly portraying her lack of brain cells. stop blaming women for getting mu*dered and START BLAMING MEN FOR MU*DRING them pic.twitter.com/xBOI1HECHL
— sad fkn mess™ 🇵🇸 (@aliciamayemory_) June 3, 2025
Although Ayeza did not reference Sana directly, many online users viewed her message as an implicit critique of the teenager’s active social media presence. Critics accused the actress of reinforcing a dangerous mindset — that women who are visible online are responsible for the violence they face.
Read more: Tragic Killing of Influencer Sana Yousaf Sparks Outrage Across Pakistan, Social Media Reacts
“Women shouldn’t have to hide to stay safe. This kind of messaging only emboldens misogynists,” one Instagram user commented. Another post on X (formerly Twitter) read, “Ayeza Khan using her platform to subtly blame a murdered teenager is beyond disappointing.”
In the midst of this backlash, Ayeza’s husband, actor Danish Taimoor, is also facing criticism — not for his comments, but for the roles he has chosen in recent television dramas. Viewers have called out Taimoor for repeatedly portraying characters involved in forced marriages, stalking, and even abduction — themes many say romanticize coercion and normalize gender-based violence.
Try to stop your husband from making these type of shit dramas @Ayezakhan_ak https://t.co/WTnpfNDLrY pic.twitter.com/d8QDFfVX1s
— حماد (@BA56FOREVERR) June 3, 2025
One drama in particular, in which Taimoor’s character abducts and later falls in love with the female lead, has resurfaced on social media as an example of problematic storytelling that contributes to harmful societal attitudes. “Men like Danish Taimoor’s characters are glorified on screen and mirrored in real life. Fiction or not, these portrayals matter,” wrote a women’s rights advocate on X.
expecting ayeza khan to give a sensible statement is stupid itself. her husband does the worst characters, that we as a society need to get rid of, how do you expect her to stand up against patriarchy? she doesnt care !!!
— Ariha Fatimah Arain (@arihafatimah) June 3, 2025
As outrage grows, fans and activists alike are urging celebrities to reflect on the cultural impact of their words and the roles they play, particularly in a society where violence against women is rampant and often justified through regressive narratives.
danish taimoor and ayeza khan are epitome of jahalat and they need some serious media training
— bella ྀི (@bellashiding) June 4, 2025
Ayeza Khan is one of the most braindead stupid af celebrities I’ve ever seen. The biggest con of social media is the fact that she got a platform to speak this bs. https://t.co/l0RUp1tQsF
— aam 🇵🇰 (@AmnaKaSamnaa) June 3, 2025
Ayeza Khan is the most tone-deaf celebrity ever – minced her words about the Palestinian issue, gave the most neutral statement ever about the Pak-Ind conflict but has all the words in the world while writing captions for her photos. And don’t get me started on her husband! https://t.co/8yM3lLDRT9
— Zebaish Cheema (@zebbuu) June 3, 2025
Someone please show this to Ayeza Khan so she can lecture the victim more abt being responsible rather than blaming her ghatiya husband for influencing young boys with this garbage content. pic.twitter.com/u2tUlR4wqb
— SK (@_stkhan) June 4, 2025
Her husband Danish Taimoor made an entire career & tons of money just by playing roles of toxic “lovers” who can’t take a NO from girls & normalizes violence , even now, his current on air drama is romanticizing the same old violence shit !! Any words on that #AyezaKhan ?????? https://t.co/YbeCERmnE6
— Vulpine (@don_vulpine) June 3, 2025
why are people surprised by this post of Ayeza Khan? Her husband literally makes a living out of playing roles in which men are t*rrorizing and controlling women.
Danish Taimoor needs to be banned from TV dramas pic.twitter.com/5eAjSyklNj
— yang goi (@GongR1ght) June 4, 2025
Meanwhile, the legal proceedings in the Sana Yousaf case continue.
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday remanded Umar Hayat — the 22-year-old prime suspect — to 14-day judicial custody. Hayat, who also identified as a TikToker and was reportedly rejected multiple times by Sana, has confessed to the murder, which took place at the victim’s home in Sector G-13/1, Islamabad.
According to police, Sana was shot twice in the chest while her parents were away. Hayat was arrested from Faisalabad just 20 hours after the crime, thanks to CCTV footage and mobile data analysis. During the hearing, the court approved an identity parade and criticized the absence of the district prosecutor, delaying further proceedings.
Read more: IG Islamabad Win Hearts for Progressive Response After Sana Yousaf’s Murder
The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) condemned Sana’s brutal murder and the toxic online discourse that followed. The organization noted the spread of misinformation, gendered hate speech, and the vile celebration of her death as alarming indicators of the entrenched misogyny women face in Pakistan — both online and offline. It warned that these reactions reflect a broader culture that normalizes violence against women with a public presence, rather than protecting them.