Sara Sharif: All we know about ‘murder’ of girl, 10, as police hunt father in Pakistan
Officers were called to the scene by Sara’s father from Pakistan, who is now wanted by the police for questioning
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The father of a young girl found dead in her home in Woking is wanted by the police investigating her murder, but is now believed to be in Pakistan.
Sara Sharif, 10, was found to have received “multiple and extensive” injuries in her post-mortem examination, but the cause of her death is still unknown.
Her father, Urfan Sharif, travelled to Islamabad with his partner, brother and five children the day before Sara’s body was found, according to Surrey Police.
Mr Sharif called the police about Sara’s death in Pakistan at 2.50 am on 10 August. He, his partner and his brother are wanted for questioning in the investigation and officers in Pakistan have now joined the hunt for him.
Who is Sara Sharif?
Sara Sharif was a 10-year-old girl who lived in Horsell, a village near Woking in northwest Surrey.
Her mother, Olga Sharif, described Sara as “an amazing child” in an interview with The Sun. She told the newspaper that her life “will never be the same again.”
How did she die?
Sara’s body was found at her home on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey after officers were called from Pakistan by her father at 2.50am on 10 August.
A post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered “multiple and extensive” injuries which are likely to have been caused over a “sustained and extended” period of time, but the cause of her death is still unknown.
What have the police said about her death?
Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police major crime team, said in a statement: “Firstly, on behalf of Surrey Police, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences following Sara’s tragic death. Our thoughts are with her mother at this difficult time. We also fully appreciate the impact this devastating incident will have had within the local community.
“While the post-mortem has not provided us with an established cause of death at this time, the fact that we now know that Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period has significantly changed the nature of our investigation, and we have widened the timescale of the focus of our enquiry.
Mr Chapman has asked the public to help piece together a picture of Sara’s lifestyle, appealing to anyone who knew Sara to come forward with any information.
“In the meantime, I would like to reassure you that we are doing everything possible, including working with our partners and international agencies, to ensure that those responsible for Sara’s tragic and untimely death are brought to justice.”
Police are expected to remain at the semi-detached property in the quiet Woking village of Horsell for “some weeks”.
Who are the police searching for?
The police are searching for Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner and Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, who all travelled to Islamabad the day before Sara’s body was found.
They travelled with five children aged between one and 13 years old, the force said.
There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan, but Det. Chapman said that people have been extradited from the Asian country before.
Police are working with the Crown Prosecution Service, Interpol, the National Crime Agency and Foreign Office to carry out their investigation and to liaise with Pakistani authorities.
Officers are not looking to identify anyone else in connection with the investigation, the police added.
UK police are working with international agencies, including Interpol, the National Crime Agency and the UK Foreign Office to progress inquiries with Pakistani authorities.
What have police in Pakistan said?
On Saturday 19 August, police in the eastern Punjab province confirmed they were seeking to arrest Mr Sharif.
Officer Imran Ahmed said police had found evidence that Sharif had briefly returned to Jhelum, Punjab, around 135 kilometres (84 miles) from the capital, where his family has a home, before leaving again.
Another officer in Jhelum, Nisar Ahmed, said he and his men went to Sharif’s native village of Kari but learned the family left around 20 years ago and never returned.
What have Sara’s family said?
Sara’s mother is currently being supported by specialist officers and has not been in contact with Sara’s father, UK police have said.
She did not have custody of Sara after losing a custody battle in 2019 and learned of her death from police.
Ms Sharif told The Sun she had only seen Sara and her 13-year-old son, Sara’s brother, two times in the past four years.
She said she bonded with Sara over a shared love of the Disney movie Frozen and other films. “She would walk in and say, ‘Mum, look how pretty I look’,” she said.