Sara Sharif’s father & stepmother were ‘urged to flee Britain’ after her death by UK solicitor, Pakistani lawyer claims
SARA Sharif’s father and stepmother were urged to flee Britain by a British solicitor, a Pakistani lawyer has claimed.
The schoolgirl’s dad Urfan Sharif, 41, fled to Pakistan‘s capital Islamabad after her death at their home in Woking in Surrey, along with his wife Beinash Batool, 29.
Now the family’s Pakistani lawyer has said they were advised to leave the UK by a British lawyer friend.
Malik Asif Taufique, the Sharifs’ family lawyer in Pakistan, was quoted by the Mail on Sunday as saying they were “terrified” in the wake of Sara’s death.
He said: “Urfan and Beinash ran from the UK because a British lawyer there made them terrified, saying they would have a harsh punishment in the UK and they would lose custody of their children.
“They would be mistreated for being Muslims and a big scandal will be made against their faith.”
He also insisted Sharif and Batool had been in regular contact with UK police since leaving the country.
The claims came after cops hunting for Sharif arrested ten close relatives of Urfan.
Sara was found dead on August 10.
A post-mortem found she suffered “multiple and extensive injuries” over a “sustained and extended” period of time.
A police spokesman in Jehlum, 100 miles north-west of Pakistan’s second city Lahore, said Sharif and Batool were in hiding.
Ten close relatives have been taken into custody for questioning and an investigation, the spokesman also said.
Among those detained include Urfan’s dad Mohammad Sharif.
Sara’s stepmother spoke publicly last Wednesday for the first time since the girl was found dead.
In a clip posted online by Sky, Batool described Sara’s death as “an incident” while insisting she and Sharif were willing to co-operate with British authorities over the case.
The pair left the UK with five children aged between one and 13, with Surrey Police wanting to question them over Sara’s death.
Sara’s mother Olga Sharif, who lives in Yeovil in Somerset, has spoken about the traumatic ordeal of going to view her daughter’s body.
She 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 separated from her husband in 2015.
Sara and her older brother were living with her until 2019, when a family court ruled they ought to live with their father.
Ms Sharif still had equal rights to see the children but said this became increasingly difficult as time went on.
Sara’s grandfather has told the BBC the girl’s death was an “accident” while also saying three family members who left Britain for Pakistan would “ultimately” return to face questioning by cops.
Muhammad Sharif said he saw Sara’s father soon after he arrived in Jhelum, and that his son had fled the UK out of “fear”.
Police previously revealed they discovered Sara’s body at her family home in Woking at around 2.50am on August 10, after receiving a 999 call from Urfan.
A spokesman said the call was made from Pakistan, probably nation’s capital Islamabad.
Surrey Police said: “Officers identified three people they would like to speak to as part of the ongoing investigation into Sara’s death.
“These people have been identified as Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, 28.
“It is believed Urfan travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, in company with his partner and his brother on Wednesday, 9 August.
“There were five children with them aged between a year and 13 years old.”
Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with Sara’s death.
There is no extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan.