A popular Pakistani TikTok creator was shot dead near Islamabad last week in an attack that has once again put the spotlight on the risks faced by women content creators in Pakistan's booming but largely unregulated influencer economy.
The victim, 28-year-old Shamso Bibi, was better known online as Ayesha Gilamana, where she commanded a following of more than 1.3 million, over 13 lakh, users on TikTok, a platform with an outsized reach in Pakistan.
Why was Pakistani TikTok star Shamso Bibi, known as Ayesha Gilamana, shot dead
According to a police complaint filed by her father, Fazal Sahibzada, the killing took place on the evening of August 14 in Taxila, an industrial town roughly 30 kilometres from the federal capital. The complaint states that Bibi received a phone call from a man identified only as Kashif, also referred to as "Kashi," who asked her to step outside the family home.
Bibi then left in a car along with her 15-year-old sister and her brother. Shortly after, two unidentified men riding a motorcycle allegedly opened fire on the vehicle near a fuel station. A bullet struck Bibi in the neck, killing her instantly, while her younger sister was left critically injured and rushed to hospital.
Police have since registered a murder case and, according to some reports, taken four people into custody — including two individuals suspected of helping the alleged shooter evade capture. The identity and whereabouts of the main assailant remain unconfirmed at the time of writing.
Motive still under investigation
Multiple local outlets, citing initial police assessments, have pointed to a possible financial dispute as a trigger for the attack, though authorities have not issued a formal, confirmed motive. Bibi's brother has since made a public appeal to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, asking the provincial government to step in and ensure the case is pursued to conviction.
Bibi had 13 lakh TikTok followers
Bibi had been creating TikTok videos for around three to four years and had built an audience of about 1.3 million followers, according to her family.
Reports said her account had received more than 30 million likes. The family deactivated the account after her death. She also had a presence on YouTube, where reports said she had around 176,000 subscribers.
Part of a troubling pattern
Bibi's death adds to a string of violent attacks on women social media personalities in Pakistan over the past two years, a trend that has alarmed digital-rights groups and rekindled debate about online harassment spilling into real-world violence.
In June last year, 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf was shot dead inside her Islamabad home after repeatedly turning down a man's advances; the accused was later indicted and, this May, sentenced to death, with a Pakistani court also ordering compensation to her family. Separately, TikTok creator Sana Javed was allegedly shot dead by her estranged husband at a mall in Islamabad, who then turned the weapon on himself.
Taken together, the cases have intensified calls from women's rights advocates in Pakistan for stronger legal protections and faster police action for influencers — particularly women — who report threats or harassment stemming from their online presence.
