27 August 2023 , 19:11
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The grandfather of ‘murdered’ Sara Sharif has said he believes her fugitive father is on the verge of handing himself in to police in Pakistan.
Muhammad Sharif urged son Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, 28, to co-operate after they vanished in the wake of the 10-year-old’s death.
Sharif, 41, 28-year-old Malik and Batool, 29, flew to Islamabad the day before Sara was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10.
Her father then called British police from Pakistan to report the death.
Speaking from the family home in Jehlum, 85 miles from the capital Islamabad, Muhammad Sharif said: “As far as I know, my son and his wife are willing to surrender and they will do so soon,”
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The grandfather, 68, claimed he had not seen Urfan since he returned to Pakistan and had no knowledge of how Sara died.
Beinash Batool is also being hunted (PA)
Urfan Sharif disappeared after 10-year-old Sara's death (PA)He said: “I want them to surrender soon as because of the police raids and investigations all of my family is in deep trouble.
“I don’t know where they are but I can tell that they are not in Jehlum.”
He spoke after Jehlum police chief Nasir Bajwa said he expected to find the suspects soon. He said on Saturday: “With God’s will we will make the arrest by tomorrow night.” Sources said police raided at least one address in Mirpur, Kashmir, on Saturday but the suspects were not found.
It is understood the police hunt is focusing on Mirpur where Batool’s family home is situated.
Surrey detectives have yet to establish how Sara was killed.
A post-mortem found she suffered “multiple, extensive injuries, likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period”.
A message found at Sara’s home claimed she was battered to death by a person known to her family. Said to have been written by a relative, it reportedly starts: “Whoever sees this, it was [name] who killed [Sara] by beating. I am running away because I am scared.”
The mother of a girl who was at St Mary’s Primary school in Byfleet, Surrey, with Sara, told how the youngster stopped attending after turning up with cuts and bruises four months ago.
Named only as Jessica, she said Sara had been a happy and confident child, but had spotted injuries on her in April.
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Jessica said: “My daughter had asked what had happened and she said she’d fallen off a bike.”
Surrey Police said they had interacted with Sara’s family for “some years”.
There is no extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan but offenders have been returned here to stand trial.