Sara Sharif's siblings to stay in Pakistan

The siblings of Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old girl tragically murdered by her father and stepmother, will remain in Pakistan after Surrey County Council withdrew from an ongoing legal case aimed at bringing them back to the UK. Since October 2023, the five children have been living with their paternal grandfather in Jhelum. Over the past two and a half years, there have been numerous interruptions and delays in court proceedings in Pakistan concerning both the final custody arrangement and the country where the children will ultimately reside.

Although all the children, except the youngest, are attending school, their status as wards of court in England prompted Surrey County Council to attempt to use the Pakistani courts to facilitate their return to the UK. However, the grandfather has been contesting this move and is seeking to keep the children living with him in Pakistan. A spokesperson for Surrey County Council explained that as English legal proceedings are nearing conclusion, the council can no longer pursue the case in Pakistan. The final custody decision remains unresolved, but either outcome means the children will stay in Pakistan. The grandfather’s lawyer has noted that since the children hold dual nationality, they retain the option to return to the UK voluntarily at a later date.

The heartbreaking circumstances began almost three years ago when Sara Sharif’s body was discovered in a house in Woking on 10 August 2023. Prior to that, her father, Urfan Sharif, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, and an uncle, Faisal Malik, fled the UK with the five children to Pakistan. The children were found during a police raid on the grandfather’s home in Jhelum on 11 September 2023. Initially placed in a childcare facility, custody was temporarily granted to the grandfather by October of the same year. The adults were subsequently arrested upon their return to the UK on 13 September 2023. Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Following Sara’s death, the siblings were declared wards of court in England, and an English court ordered their return to the UK. However, Surrey County Council has faced lengthy legal challenges over whether it holds jurisdiction in Pakistan to enforce this order. The BBC attended numerous court sessions in Pakistan, witnessing the case being repeatedly postponed, partially heard, restarted with new judicial authorities, and suspended twice over summer recesses. The eldest sibling, now a teenager, has been present at most hearings. Despite the significance highlighted by the Pakistani judiciary, no definitive ruling on Surrey Council’s jurisdiction has been made. Meanwhile, a court ruling in December 2025 indicated the possibility of dismissing wardship proceedings unless formally extended, noting the children were no longer under Surrey council’s care. Council chief executive Terence Herbert stated the council “has done everything within our power to support the siblings and half siblings of Sara Sharif in Pakistan.”

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More