Cops arrest 10 relatives of Sara Sharif suspect in Pakistan hunt over her death
Police hunting the on-the-run dad and step-mum of a tragic 10-year-old girl found dead at her home have arrested ten of her father's relatives.
Sara Sharif's body was discovered at the property in Woking, Surrey, last month, and police says they want to speak to her Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, as well as his brother Faisal Shahzad Malik, 28. The child was found dead after officers were called from Pakistan by her dad, who is thought to have travelled to Islamabad on August 9.
Police have been unable to contact them since, despite last week claiming they are willing to co-operate with British authorities. A post-mortem examination showed Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries, likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time.
Sara Sharif, 10, was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey on August 10 (PA)
Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool have so far refused to return to the UK (Sky News)A police spokesman based in Jehlum said the couple were in hiding but said ten people, known to be relatives of the father, been taken into custody for questioning as the investigation continues. Those detained include Mohammad Sharif, the father of Urfan. His brothers and cousins were also arrested, a spokesman said.
It comes amid claims their lawyer suggested a solicitor told them to leave the country over fears they would be mistreated for their faith. They reportedly received the advice after the schoolgirl’s death, the family’s Pakistani lawyer said last night.
Police are 'closing in' on dad of murdered Woking girl, 10, after he vanished
On Wednesday, they shared video - the first public contact since her death - where Mr Sharif and Ms Batool read a statement rejecting claims they were on the run. Ms Batool dedicates just two sentences on Sara, describing her death as an "incident".
She said: "Firstly, I would like to talk about Sara. Sara's death was an incident. Our family in Pakistan are severely affected by all that is going on. "Imran (another of Mr Sharif's brothers) did not give a statement that Sara fell down the stairs and broke her neck. This was spread through a Pakistani media outlet. I am very worried about Imran's safety."
They were last week seen for first time after fleeing to Pakistan (Sky News)She went on: "All of our family members have gone into hiding as everyone is scared for their safety. The kids are unable to attend school as they're afraid to leave the house. No one is leaving the house.
"The groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear for safety." An inquest into Sara's found her cause of death has "not yet been determined" as the search for her family continues.
Sara was previously known to authorities, according to Surrey County Council. Surrey Police said they had "limited and historic contact" with the child and her family.
It comes as Sara's mum has spoken of the grief she felt when she went to identify her daughter's body in the mortuary. Olga Sharif, speaking on Polish television programme Uwaga! on the TVN Channel, said: "One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised. Even now, when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like."
Ms Sharif said she had separated from her husband in 2015, and Sara and her older brother had been living with her until 2019 when the family court ruled they should live with their dad. She still had equal rights to see the children and said while that was easy to maintain initially it became increasingly harder over time.
In an earlier interview, Ms Sharif said that she was only allowed to see her children twice since she lost custody of them. The mum claimed that she used to be sent frequent photos of her children until 2021, when an argument between her and Mr Sharif's new partner allegedly led to her being cut off completely.
Surrey Police are appealing for information to help them piece together a picture of Sara's life. Surrey County Council has confirmed she was known to the local authority. An inquest opened last week at Woking Coroner's Court was told that although Sara's cause of death has not yet been determined, it was likely to have been "unnatural".
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