Pakistan cops 'asked to search for Sara Sharif's family 5 days after body found'

31 August 2023 , 21:33

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Sara Sharif's dad Urfan (left) and his partner Beinash Batool are wanted for questioning (Image: AP)

Police in Pakistan say it took five days for them to be asked to search for Sara Sharif's family after her body was found in the UK.

The 10-year-old was found dead at her home near Woking after police were called from Pakistan by her dad, Urfan Sharif. Investigations into the tragedy are ongoing, and an inquest into the youngster's death was opened on Wednesday morning.

Surrey Police are still keen to track down Mr Sharif, as well as his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28, who are thought to have travelled to Islamabad on August 9. According to reports, Pakistan police were told to start their search on August 15 after receiving a request from Interpol via the country's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Sara's body was found on August 10. The reason behind the five-day delay remains unclear, as it is not known when Surrey Police asked to launch the search.

Sara Sharif was tragically found dead at her home near Woking on August 10 (PA)

Police in Pakistan were asked to search for her family five days later, it is reported (SIMON JONES/THE SUN)

The force refused to confirm when it contacted Interpol to put in a request to Pakistan authorities, reports the BBC, but said that it had been liaising with international partners since August 10. A team was pulled together and the search was launched on August 16.

Grieving couple whose daughter, 27, died abroad don't know where grandkids are

However, the whereabouts of Sara's dad, stepmother and uncle are still unknown. Syed Khurram Ali, Regional police chief with the Punjab police, said: "I think it would be very difficult for them to stay in hiding for quite some time.

"They will be contacting different people for their different needs. It is not possible that they hide for an indefinite period. Police are pursuing them, working on it day and night. I'm sure we are going to find them."

The comments comes after Sara’s grandad urged the trio to hand themselves in. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Muhammad Sharif said his son had briefly visited the family home in the city of Jhelum, Punjab province, earlier this month before he disappeared again.

Police officers outside Sara's home in Surrey (SplashNews.com)

He said that Urfan did not tell him about Sara's death, adding: "We want them to present themselves. We want them to resolve the matter as the privacy of our house is affected due to frequent police raids."

Officers widened the timescale of their investigation after the post-mortem examination revealed that Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries, likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time. Sara's mum, Olga Sharif, is being supported by specialist officers.

Renewing the appeal last week, Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: "We would like to thank those people who have already come forward and reported information to us.

Floral tributes left to Sara outside the home where her body was found (SWNS)

"However, we know that there will be lots of people in the Woking community and beyond who will have had contact with Sara who may not already have come forward, and we would encourage them to do so. Any information is better than no information - although you might think it's insignificant, it might be vital to the investigation and in helping us to bring justice for Sara."

An inquest opened earlier this week at Woking Coroner's Court was told that although her cause of death has not yet been determined, it was likely to have been "unnatural". Giving his condolences to the family, Coroner Simon Wickens adjourned inquest proceedings until February 29 next year to allow police to to carry out investigations.

A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: "We can confirm that we have been liaising with our international partners since 10 August, the day that Sara’s body was discovered. Our enquiries remain ongoing to locate the three people we would like to speak to in connection with Sara’s death and we are continuing to work with the Crown Prosecution Service and international agencies, including Interpol, the National Crime Agency and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as the Pakistani authorities."

Katie Weston