Court rules against detention of Sara Sharif's father's Pakistan family

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【Summary】A court in Pakistan has ruled that the relatives of Sara Sharif's father cannot be detained by police for questioning, despite an international manhunt for him. Sara, 10, was found dead in her home in Woking, and her father, Urfan Sharif, fled to Pakistan with his partner and brother. Two men related to Mr. Sharif have been questioned by police in Pakistan but were not arrested. The court's decision prevents their detention for further questioning.

FutureCar Staff Aug 24, 2023 10:07 AM PT

Court rules against detention of Sara Sharif's father's Pakistan family

A court in Pakistan has ruled that relatives of Sara Sharif's father cannot be detained by police for questioning, despite an international manhunt for him. Sara, a 10-year-old girl, was found dead in her home in Woking on August 10. Her father, Urfan Sharif, fled to Pakistan with his partner and brother before his daughter's body was discovered. Two men related to Mr. Sharif have been questioned by police in Pakistan but have not been arrested. The court has made a decision that Mr. Sharif's relatives cannot be detained again for questioning about his whereabouts, although officers will continue to question them.

According to Mr. Sharif's father and one brother, they believe he came to the city of Jhelum, their hometown, but then left. They claim to have no knowledge of his current whereabouts. While Pakistan and the UK do not have a formal extradition treaty, Surrey Police officers are working with authorities in Pakistan to locate Mr. Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool, and his brother Faisal Malik as part of a murder investigation.

Surrey Police made a fresh appeal for information on Thursday, two weeks after Sara's body was found. Detectives have widened the timescale of the murder investigation after a post-mortem revealed that Sara had suffered extensive injuries over an extended period of time. They are urging anyone who knew Sara or has any information that could assist the investigation to come forward, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

According to a neighbour identified as Jessica, Sara was seen at school with cuts and bruises just months before her death. Sara's uncle reportedly told police in Pakistan that she "fell down the stairs and broke her neck." Police have also confirmed that Sara was known to authorities prior to her death, without providing further details.

If you have any information related to the case, it can be reported online through the Surrey Police Major Incident Public Portal or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Unison. Anonymous reports can be made to independent charity Crimestoppers.