TikTok star found dead after ‘refusing marriage proposal’
A TikTok star has been found dead after allegedly being pressured into entering a forced marriage.
Sumeera Rajput, who boasted more than 58,000 followers and a million likes on the video sharing platform, was discovered at her home in Ghotki district in Sindh, Pakistan.
An investigation is underway to determine her cause of death, with two people currently being held in custody in connection with the incident.
Sumeera’s daughter, 15, said her mother had been poisoned with tablets after refusing a marriage proposal, Mint reported.
It comes amid a spate of attacks towards female social media influencers, who have found a sense of expression in the app in a nation where less than a quarter of women are in the workforce.
Arranged marriages are commonplace in Pakistan and unions without family consent are frown upon.
Adults under the age of 30 were most likely to have a ‘love marriage’ in which they chose their partner.
A survey by Gallup Pakistan last year found that four out of four marriages in the country.
Meanwhile, an estimated 1,000 forced marriages take place in Pakistan each year.
It is common for girls to be married off young by parents who cannot afford to keep them and want to pass responsibility onto another family, with 18 per cent tying the knot before the age of 18.
Last month a teenage TikTok influencer was shot dead in her home.
Sana Yousaf, 17, was killed by 22-year-old Umar Hayat after she refused his advances, a police investigation found.
The young activist had attracted a huge following from her videos which combined local music and traditional dress with vocal support for women’s rights and education.
The National Commission on the Status of Women, a statutory body which examines governmental policy on women, condemned the attack.
Its chair, Ume Laila Azhar said: ‘We will not let this case be buried under social stigma, false narratives of honour, or procedural loopholes.
‘This senseless killing highlights the vulnerability of women and girls, even in their own homes.
‘We demand justice for Sana and her family, and expect the state to ensure accountability of the perpetrators.’
Tiktok has previously been banned on at least four occasions by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority due to indecent and violent content.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Pakistan, 28 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence, while six per cent have have been subjected to sexual violence.
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