Pakistan Police Under Pressure to Locate Fugitive Father and Stepmother in the Tragic Death of 10-Year-Old Sara
The authorities in Pakistan are facing mounting pressure to find Urfan Sharif, the father of 10-year-old Sara, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool. Sara’s life came to a tragic end when her battered and bruised body was discovered in her father’s house in Horsell, near Woking, in the United Kingdom. The pathologist revealed that Sara had suffered extensive injuries over a sustained period.
Urfan Sharif, a taxi driver, wasted no time in fleeing to Pakistan with Batool, their five other children, and his brother, shortly before informing the police about Sara’s death. Despite international efforts to bring them in for questioning, they remain at large.
The case has raised questions about whether more could have been done to prevent Sara’s death. She had been withdrawn from primary school in April, ostensibly to be homeschooled by her stepmother, and was known to social services. In response, a rapid review involving multiple agencies has been initiated to examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
British authorities have exerted significant pressure on the police in Pakistan to apprehend the fugitives. Jane Marriott, the new high commissioner in Islamabad, has been diligent in pushing for results.
The police in Jhelum, where Sharif’s relatives reside, are planning to offer a reward for any information leading to their whereabouts. They also intend to circulate wanted posters. At the same time, Surrey police are appealing to the public for any information that could help them reconstruct Sara’s life.
There have already been 20 raids on properties in Pakistan, resulting in the detention of Sharif’s brothers and brother-in-law. This approach has drawn criticism for its unconstitutional colonial tactics. Urfan’s father, Muhammad Sharif, maintains that he has no knowledge of their current whereabouts and pleads with his son to turn himself in.
The situation has escalated further as Muhammad Sharif himself was taken by the police to an undisclosed location to see his son, Imran. The family’s two vehicles have been confiscated to limit their movements.
In a video released by relatives, Urfan Sharif and Batool appeared tense but offered little information about Sara’s death. Batool expressed concerns about their safety and insisted that they were willing to cooperate with UK authorities and present their case in court.
Osama Malik, an international criminal law expert based in Islamabad, believes that offering a reward is a more acceptable method for apprehending the fugitives compared to the current tactics being employed.
Meanwhile, Mudassar Khan, a spokesperson for Jhelum police, remains hopeful that they will be able to arrest Sharif and Batool soon. He dismisses Batool’s allegations and asserts that the police are obligated to act.
Reports indicate that Sara had aspirations of becoming a model and had been observed wearing a hijab in recent months, in stark contrast to other family members who favored Western clothing.
Sara’s mother, Olga Domin, originally from Poland, met Urfan Sharif shortly after he moved to the UK from Jhelum in 2001. The couple got married in 2009 and had two children before separating in 2015. The family court later ruled that the children would live with their father, although Olga retained the right to see them. Over time, it became increasingly challenging for her to exercise that right.
The tragic death of Sara Sharif has prompted an investigation by Surrey police, who are working closely with safeguarding partners to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation as quickly as possible.
The search for justice continues as authorities in Pakistan and the UK collaborate to bring the fugitives to account. The hope is that Sara’s untimely demise will not be in vain, and lessons will be learned to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
