US citizen shot dead by father in Quetta over TikTok videos

A man in Quetta has confessed to killing his 15-year-old daughter, citing disapproval of her TikTok content, Pakistani police reported on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, and the suspect, Anwar ul Haq, initially claimed unidentified gunmen were responsible before later admitting to the crime, according to police official Babar Baloch.

Police investigator Zohaib Mohsin stated that the family objected to the teenager’s dressing, lifestyle, and social activities. Investigators are also considering the possibility of an honor killing. Authorities have seized her locked mobile phone as part of the investigation.

The family had recently returned to Pakistan’s Balochistan province after living in the United States for 25 years. The suspect, who claims US citizenship, told police his daughter began making “objectionable” TikTok videos in the US and continued even after moving back to Pakistan.

Police have also arrested Haq’s brother-in-law in connection with the case and formally charged Anwar ul Haq with murder. However, authorities have not provided evidence of his US citizenship and have not confirmed whether the US embassy has been informed.

Pakistan, with over 54 million TikTok users, has banned the app multiple times over concerns regarding content moderation. The government often takes issue with “obscene content”, though TikTok has recently started complying with Islamabad’s removal requests.