Five Arrested as Police Link TikToker Shamsu Bibi Killing to Family Plot
RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested five members of TikToker Shamsu Bibi’s family and extended their investigation into what officers allege was a planned killing linked to objections over her social-media activities. Shamsu Bibi, also known as Ayesha Gilamana, was killed near Taxila on August 14, and the latest arrests mark a major shift in a case that initially focused on identifying the attackers involved in the shooting.
Rawalpindi Operations SSP Tariq Mehboob told reporters that those taken into custody include the victim’s father Fazal, her biological brother Bashir, cousin Ehsan, another relative identified as Rozi Khan and Yasin. Police allege that members of the family were involved in arranging the killing with assistance from other suspects. The allegations have not yet been tested in court, and investigators say the inquiry remains active.
According to police, special investigation teams were formed on the instructions of City Police Officer Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera after the killing. Investigators examined footage from more than 100 CCTV cameras and combined those recordings with technical evidence and information gathered during questioning. Officers said inconsistencies emerging during the investigation prompted them to widen the scope of the case and examine the possible involvement of people close to the victim.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the killing may have been carried out in the name of so-called honour and that disagreements over Shamsu Bibi’s presence on TikTok and other social-media platforms were part of the alleged motive. Investigators have accused the suspects of attempting to mislead authorities after the shooting by presenting an alternative account of events. Police say those claims were reassessed as CCTV footage and other evidence were collected.
Shamsu Bibi, who was 28, had built a significant online following under the name Ayesha Gilamana. She was travelling near Taxila when gunmen allegedly opened fire on her vehicle. Earlier accounts of the attack said she was travelling with family members when the shooting occurred, setting off an investigation that drew substantial attention online because of her public profile and the circumstances surrounding her death.
The case has now moved from the initial effort to identify those who carried out the shooting toward establishing who allegedly planned the attack and what role each suspect may have played. Police have said the suspected shooters are also in custody, while investigators continue examining the wider chain of events. Authorities have not ruled out further arrests if evidence points to additional participants.
The development has renewed attention in Pakistan to violence committed under the pretext of family honour, particularly cases involving women whose work or public presence is opposed by relatives. The police allegations in this case remain subject to judicial scrutiny, and any statements obtained during interrogation will have to be supported by admissible evidence as prosecutors take the matter forward.
SSP Tariq Mehboob said investigators intend to submit a charge sheet based on the evidence collected in the case. Further questioning is expected to focus on the planning of the attack, the roles attributed to each suspect and whether others were involved. The next major stage will come when the accused are produced before the relevant court and investigators present the material gathered through CCTV analysis, technical evidence and witness questioning.