TikToker Sumeera Rajput poisoned for refusing marriage in Pakistan’s Ghotki

GHOTKI: In yet another grim reflection of the worsening human rights situation in Pakistan, TikTok content creator Sumeera Rajput was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her home in the Bago Wah area of Sindh’s Ghotki district, Geo News reported. The case has sparked outrage as allegations of forced marriage and poisoning surface, highlighting the deep-rooted violence faced by women and digital creators in the country.

According to Geo News, Ghotki District Police Officer Anwar Shaikh confirmed that Rajput’s 15-year-old daughter claimed her mother had been poisoned by individuals who had long been pressuring her into a forced marriage. The daughter alleged that her mother was given poisonous tablets, which led to her death.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Geo News stated that no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, and police say they are still investigating whether foul play was involved. Two individuals have been taken into custody, but authorities have yet to confirm a motive, raising concerns about police apathy and the lack of urgency in protecting women’s rights.

Rajput, who had over 58,000 TikTok followers and more than one million likes, is the latest in a series of targeted killings of female influencers in Pakistan. Just last month, another TikToker, 17-year-old Sana Yousaf, was shot dead inside her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13/1, Geo News reported. Despite swift action in arresting her alleged killer, Umar Hayat, the broader pattern of violence against women in public life continues unabated.

The Pakistani state remains largely unresponsive to violence against women, and the failure to address digital harassment, forced marriage, and gender-based killings underscores the erosion of basic rights in the country.

The deaths of Rajput and Yousaf are not isolated tragedies; they reflect a society where justice remains elusive and the lives of outspoken women hang by a thread. (ANI)