The fugitive father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl, who tragically met her demise at her residence in the United Kingdom, made a statement on Wednesday expressing their willingness to collaborate with UK authorities, following their escape to Pakistan.
Sara Sharif, whose life was abruptly cut short, was discovered deceased in the southern UK town of Woking on August 10. A post-mortem examination unveiled that she had sustained "multiple and extensive injuries" over an extended period, as disclosed by British law enforcement.
The individuals under suspicion include Urfan Sharif, aged 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, all of whom purportedly sought refuge in Pakistan, departing before the discovery of the victim's remains, thus initiating an international pursuit to locate them.
In a video that was shared with AFP by her relatives, Batool, the partner of Urfan Sharif, asserted, "Sara's death was an incident. Our family in Pakistan is severely affected by all that is going on." She expressed concerns regarding potential mistreatment by Pakistani law enforcement, fueling their decision to go into hiding. Batool concluded by affirming their readiness to cooperate with UK authorities and present their case in court. In the video, Sharif remained silent, while Malik did not make an appearance.
She further revealed that due to the prevailing circumstances, their entire family had gone into hiding, apprehensive for their safety.
Urfan's father, Muhammad Sharif, disclosed that the couple had stayed at the family's residence in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) for a duration of two days following their arrival in Pakistan. He voiced his distress over alleged harassment endured at the hands of Pakistani police over the course of the past three weeks. He emphasized that the actions of his son should not result in the punishment of his brothers.
The family has taken legal action in Pakistan, seeking the release of detained relatives, a recourse frequently adopted in response to police pressure to coerce suspects into surrendering to authorities, according to rights groups in Pakistan.
While Pakistan and Britain lack a formal extradition treaty, they do occasionally deport individuals wanted on a case-specific basis.
Surrey Police acknowledged their awareness of the video and regarded the potential willingness of the family to cooperate as "significant." They reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into Sara's tragic demise and emphasized that any cooperation from the individuals in question would be invaluable to the ongoing inquiry.
The welfare of five children who departed for Pakistan on the day prior to the discovery of Sara's body has been classified as a priority by the Surrey Police. The force is in close collaboration with British and international partners, including Interpol, as they continue their investigation.
