Pakistani TikTok star Shamsa Bibi shot dead near Islamabad

Pakistani TikTok star and content creator Shamsa Bibi was shot dead near Islamabad, with police investigating the motive and the identities of the attackers.

The 28-year-old, who was known on social media as Ayesha Gilamana, was killed on Friday (Aug. 14) near Taxila, according to police and her family. She had around 1.3 million followers on TikTok.

According to the police complaint filed by her family, Shamsa left home after receiving a phone call from a man identified as Kashif, also known as “Kashi”. She was accompanied by her 15-year-old sister Asima and her brother Niamatullah.

The three were travelling in a car when two men riding a motorcycle opened fire on them near a petrol station. Shamsa was struck in the neck and died at the scene.

The driver lost control of the vehicle after the shooting, causing it to collide with another vehicle. Asima suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken for medical treatment.

Police registered a murder case following the family’s complaint, charging the suspects under provisions relating to murder, attempted murder, abetment and acting with a common intention.

Shamsa’s father, Fazal Sahibzada, told police that his daughter had financial dealings with two men identified as Kausar and Javed, also known as Shahin. He alleged that she had been threatened over a dispute involving money owed to her and said the family had previously lodged a complaint in Islamabad.

The alleged involvement of the two men in the killing, however, has not been established.

Shamsa had been creating content on TikTok for around three to four years and had built a large following in a relatively short period. Her brother Rahmatullah said her account had accumulated more than 30 million likes before her death.

The family has since deactivated her TikTok account.

Police have yet to identify or arrest the attackers. Investigators are examining the motive for the shooting, the identities of the assailants and the phone call Shamsa received shortly before leaving home. The alleged financial dispute is also being investigated.