Sara Sharif’s dad ‘asked pal to help him organise urgent flight to Pakistan just hours before telling cops she was dead’
SARA Sharif’s dad begged a friend to book him one way tickets to Pakistan just hours before reporting his daughter dead.
Urfan Sharif fled the UK with his partner Beinash Batool, brother Faisal Malik, and five of his children before the 10-year-old’s body was discovered at their Woking home.
The 41-year-old taxi driver reportedly contacted his pal Nadeem Riaz on August 8, in a desperate bid to secure the British Airways tickets.
Shop owner Nadeem, had known the fugitive for more than a decade, and often helped Urfan send money to relatives in Pakistan.
He told the Times that Sara’s father urgently requested eight “one way” tickets to visit family in Islamabad due to the “death of a cousin”.
“Sharif sounded normal. No different to his usual self,” he said.
Urfan, his partner, 29, brother, 28, and five kids, all aged between one and 13 have not been seen in the UK since.
Nadeem added: “For the first few days after it happened, every time I looked at my own daughter I felt so sad for Sara.
“I love my daughter [who is six] so much. How could anyone leave their daughter?”
An international manhunt has been launched to capture Urfan as police in Pakistan confirmed they plan to arrest him in connection with Sara’s alleged murder.
Urfan’s brother, Imran Sharif, previously claimed officers in Pakistan had raided their family home in the city of Jhelum.
The authorities reportedly held two of he fugitive’s brothers in custody for questioning before they were released – neither were arrested or charged.
Meanwhile, Sara’s heartbroken mother Olga, told The Sun she had desperately tried to contact Urfan after learning about her daughter’s death.
She said: “I texted and I called but got nothing, so I tried to get to him through TikTok, but it was turned to private.”
“It was also my friends and my relatives trying to message them, but nobody got anything.”
“He said he loves my kids but he flies away?,” she added.
“It doesn’t take five minutes to fly out of the country.
“It takes hours to sort out everything, (like) the money for the flights.
“There are still so many questions with no answers.”
A cousin of Sara’s step-mother, Batool, has also spoken out about the tragedy.
The anonymous family member told Sky News: “Beinash should come back to the UK.
“I don’t know where she is. But I’m worried about her. I’m worried about her kids.
“She should come back to the UK, go to the police and tell them exactly what happened.”
Sharif sounded normal. No different to his usual self.”
Nadeem Riaz
A postmortem was unable to determine little Sara’s cause of death.
But, it was concluded the 10-year-old suffered “multiple and extensive injuries which are likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time”.
And Sara’s devastated mother has slammed claims her daughter died after falling down the stairs.
Urfan’s brother, Imran Sharif, reportedly made the claim to Pakistani police in an interview.
But Olga, 36, said: “He could have just made that claim to protect his brother and try to stop questions being asked. I don’t think he is being honest.
“The only person I want answers from is Urfan. He has to be questioned about what’s happened to my daughter.”
She said she will “never have closure” until she knows what happened to Sara.
And the grieving mum warned Urfan “can’t hide away forever”.
Surrey Police Detective Superintendent, Mark Chapman, said: “While the post-mortem has not provided us with an established cause of death at this time, we now know that Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period.
“This has significantly changed the nature of our investigation, and we have widened the timescale of the focus of our enquiry.
“As a result, we are trying to piece together a picture of Sara’s lifestyle but we cannot do this without the public’s help.”
As reported by the Mail, neighbours claimed Sara was seen with cuts and bruises a day before she was taken out of formal education – to be home schooled by Batool.
According the local residents, Urfan’s partner claimed they were withdrawing her from the school due to bullying.
Neighbours also alleged the curtains inside the family home were always closed.
Sara’s body was found after police were rushed to an address belonging to Urfan, in Woking around 2.50am on Thursday, August 10, 2023.
It quickly emerged three people police wanted to speak to had skipped the country in the hours before the youngster was discovered.
The UK authorities are unclear on how they will handle the capture of Urfan as Britain does not have a formal extradition treaty with Pakistan.