In a video, Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother express their readiness to cooperate with UK authorities. This marks the first time they have publicly spoken since Sara’s passing.
The 10-year-old’s body was discovered on August 10 at her residence in Woking, Surrey. Surrey Police are interested in speaking with Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool, and Faisal Malik, the victim’s brother, in connection with a murder investigation.
However, the police have been unable to locate them, even though it is known that they arrived in Pakistan from the UK on August 9. In the grainy video, Ms. Batool reads from a notebook while Mr. Sharif remains silent. Only two phrases are devoted to Sara, in which she is referred to as an “event.”
As the video concludes, Ms. Batool states their readiness to cooperate with UK authorities. Despite being shown the video, the BBC has been unable to confirm their story or the video’s location. In response to the footage, Surrey Police issued a statement, saying, “Obviously, this is a serious matter,” and mentioned that they have been coordinating their next steps with Interpol, the Foreign Office, and the National Crime Agency. They emphasized the need for a cautious and sympathetic approach and expressed appreciation for any assistance from the individuals they wished to interview. The exact cause of death has not been ascertained but is likely “unnatural,” as determined by an inquest held last month.
Post-mortem examinations revealed that Sara had “many and significant injuries.” Her mother, Olga Sharif, admitted on Polish television that she hardly recognized her daughter due to the severity of her injuries. The majority of the two minutes and 36 seconds long video, captured by Mr. Sharif and Ms. Batool, consists of accusations that the Pakistani police have been intimidating the couple’s extended family, detaining them without warrants, and conducting unauthorized home raids. Ms. Batool claims that the family is in hiding due to fear of being killed or tortured by the Pakistani police.
Mehmood Bajwa, the chief of police in Jhelum, responded by telling the BBC that the allegations of family members being tortured and harassed are untrue. He advised the family to seek protection through the courts if they have concerns about the police.
While the family claims they were not arrested, the Pakistani police have previously stated in court that they detained some family members for interrogation and conducted multiple raids.
They told the BBC this week that they did not harm or confiscate anything from the family and disputed in court that they are currently holding some family members. After Sara’s body was found by the police on August 10 at a Woking address, detectives initiated an international search. The day before, Sara’s father, his companion, and his brother were on a trip to Pakistan. Sara had been living in the Surrey home with her father, his partner, her uncle, and her five siblings. Olga Sharif claimed during an interview on Polish television that she and Urfan Sharif divorced in 2015.
Sara and her older brother initially lived with their mother, but in 2019, the family court ordered that they should live with their father, although she retained equal rights. According to the police, Mr. Sharif, aged 41, dialed 999 from Pakistan shortly after arriving, which helped them locate Sara’s body. Pakistani authorities claim that the request to begin searching for the three individuals via Interpol did not arrive until August 15th. The exact timing of Surrey police’s request to Interpol to initiate the search is unknown.
According to Pakistani authorities, the group arrived at Islamabad International Airport early on August 10 and traveled to the central Punjabi city of Jhelum, where they visited relatives living in a small village near Domeli. The family stayed at Mr. Sharif’s sister and her brother-in-law’s residence late on August 12 before departing around 5:00 the following morning, according to the police inquiry. Authorities have stated that they are uncertain of their whereabouts after that.
- Misleading Video Alters Prime Minister Shehbaz’s Speech Targeting Political Rival, Not His Party - 21/04/2024
- ATC Grants Three-Day Remand for Suspects in Ichhra Bazaar Harassment Case - 19/03/2024
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh Lead World in Severe Smog Crisis, Exceeding WHO Guidelines - 19/03/2024
