Sara Sharif’s grandfather, Muhammad Sharif, said he will fight for his grandchildren to remain with him in Pakistan after Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were convicted of murder
Sara Sharif’s grandfather has vowed he will never let the dead schoolgirl’s siblings leave Pakistan as he believes they are safer living with him there than in England.
Muhammad Sharif said he will appeal to the High Court in Pakistan to block the British government’s challenges to return the children to the UK. He says since Sara’s siblings were left in Pakistan, they have been happy, have not asked about their parents, and are not willing to leave.
The 69-year-old’s son is Urfan Sharif, Sara’s father, who along with her stepmother, Beinash Batool, was convicted of her murder last week. The couple and Sara’s uncle Faisal Malik, 29, took the five children to Pakistan as they fled the UK hours after Sara died.
CCTV footage showed Sharif, Batool and Malik checking in to a flight at Heathrow with the children, who have spent the majority of their lives in the UK. Once Sara was found dead, her father, stepmother and uncle returned to the UK, leaving the children behind. This week, Sharif and Batool were found guilty of Sara’s murder, while her uncle was convicted of causing or allowing her death.
Following the convictions, the five children, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were made wards of court – which means the court is considered their legal guardian and is responsible for ensuring their safety and protection. Their day-to-day case is handed to a local authority, which is Surrey county council in this case, but any significant development in their life must be approved by the court. Being a ward of court also means a child cannot be removed from England and Wales without approval.
Now, Surrey county council has applied to the High Court in Lahore to begin efforts of bring the five children back in the UK. This is because under a reciprocal protocol, the British and Pakistan governments have agreed to return anyone who has been “wrongfully detained” in either country.
But the children’s grandfather, who is a former army officer and a father-of-seven, said the wants the kids to stay with him at his family home in Jhelum. He said his grandchildren “are not willing” to leave him as they are now enrolled “in a reputable school” and are happy.
He told The Sunday Times: “The children have not inquired about their parents and are happy living with us. The legal proceedings concerning the custody of the children are ongoing in the Lahore High Court. They are enrolled in a reputable school, and we ensure their safety by personally transporting them to and from school.
“I am their guardian and this is the safest place for them to live in, they have an association with me and they are not willing to leave me. We will win the case.” The children were briefly put in a children’s home in Pakistan but were then returned to the care of Muhammad where they have stayed since Urfan, Batool and Malik flew back to the UK, where they were detained at Gatwick Airport.
Mr Sharif also said that when his family landed in Pakistan in August last year and his son informed him that Sara had died, he “could hardly believe it” as he thought the schoolgirl would also be travelling to Pakistan. He said: “I had anticipated her arrival with them, got shocking news about her. I was broken with grief, crying out and shouting; it was a heart-wrenching experience for me … When police began their search, they left early the next morning to evade arrest.”
Despite his son’s admission that he caused Sara’s death, Mr Sharif continues to believe that Urfan is innocent. He said: “While I was unaware of the extent of the mistreatment and abuse, I did recognise that Batool, the stepmother, was not treating Sara well … I cannot understand that she was subjected to brutal beatings. Beinash Batool’s conduct as a stepmother towards Sara …. was inappropriate; she frequently scolded and beat her.”
Following the guilty verdicts, Rachael Wardell, executive director for children, families and lifelong learning at Surrey County Council, said: “Sara’s death is incredibly distressing and we share in the profound horror at the terrible details that have emerged during the trial. We cannot begin to comprehend the suffering that poor Sara endured at the hands of members of her family who should have loved, protected, and cared for her. The focus of the trial has been on the evidence needed to secure the convictions of those responsible for Sara’s death. This means that until the independent safeguarding review concludes, a complete picture cannot be understood or commented upon.
“What is clear from the evidence we’ve heard in court is that the perpetrators went to extreme lengths to conceal the truth from everyone. We are resolute in our commitment to protecting children, and we are determined to play a full and active part in the forthcoming review alongside partner agencies, to thoroughly understand the wider circumstances surrounding Sara’s tragic death.”
