Alex McCurthy
In the wake of a heartbreaking incident, Sara Sharif’s stepmother, the 10-year-old girl found dead in her Woking home last month, has made her first public statement in a video shared with Sky News. She conveyed the family’s readiness to cooperate with British authorities and to “fight our case in court.”
The police are seeking to speak with Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Shahzad Malik, 28. These individuals are believed to have traveled from the UK to Pakistan the day before the discovery of the girl’s body in Woking, Surrey.
In the video, Mr. Sharif and Ms. Batool are seen sitting side by side as she reads a prepared statement from a notebook. She refuted media reports that Mr. Sharif’s brother Imran had suggested Sara fell down the stairs and emphasized that the family has not gone into hiding.
Ms. Batool expressed concern for the family’s safety and claimed they had been misrepresented in the press, stating, “All the media have been giving wrong statements and making up lies. Imran [one of Mr. Sharif’s brothers] did not give a statement that Sara fell down the stairs and broke her neck. This was spread through a Pakistani media outlet. I am very worried about Imran’s safety.”
She explained that the family members are currently in hiding, unable to leave their homes out of fear for their safety, which has left the children unable to attend school and the family struggling to obtain food.
Despite their departure for Pakistan just before Sara’s body was discovered, Ms. Batool stressed that she, along with her husband and brother-in-law, wants to assist in resolving the situation. She concluded, “Lastly, we are willing to cooperate with the UK authorities and fight our case in court.”
A post-mortem examination conducted last month revealed that Sara had “suffered multiple and extensive injuries” that were “likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time.” The exact cause of her death has yet to be determined, but an inquest has indicated that it is “likely to be unnatural.”
It was revealed that Sara was previously known to authorities, according to Surrey County Council, and Surrey Police had “limited and historic contact” with her family.
The police believe that the three adults traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with five children aged between one and 13 on 9 August, just one day before Sara’s body was found. Mr. Sharif contacted emergency services from Pakistan on 10 August, expressing concerns about her safety.
Efforts to locate the family have been ongoing, with police in Pakistan, Interpol, and other agencies involved in the search. Sara’s grandfather has urged his son to present himself to the police and share his perspective on the girl’s death.
Last week, a cousin of Ms. Batool called on her to return to the UK and surrender to the police.
