A Pakistani court sentenced a U.S. citizen and his brother-in-law to life in prison for the murder of a 14-year-old girl from Yonkers, New York. The court ruled the killing as premeditated.
Hira Anwar, a student known for her TikTok videos, was killed outside her family home in Quetta, Pakistan, in January 2025. Her father, Anwar-ul-Haq, a New York City Uber driver and naturalized U.S. citizen, initially claimed that unknown gunmen attacked her. However, police investigations revealed it was a planned act by Anwar-ul-Haq, also called Anwar-ul-Haq Rajpoot.
The court found that Mr. ul-Haq was troubled by his daughter’s lifestyle. He viewed her social media activity, particularly her interactions with boys, as inappropriate. This perception led him to develop a plan to kill her, convincing relatives in Pakistan to assist after luring Hira there under the guise of a family vacation.
Hira was known at Yonkers’ Public School 16 as an outgoing teenager, fond of posting videos of artists like Zayn Malik and Chase Atlantic. She was eager for independence and freedom of expression. Her father’s dissatisfaction with her lifestyle choices ultimately led to this tragic event.