Custody of Sara Sharif's Siblings Remains in Pakistan
The siblings of Sara Sharif, the 10-year-old girl murdered by her father and stepmother, will remain in Pakistan after Surrey County Council announced it must withdraw from legal proceedings aimed at returning them to the UK.
The five children have been residing with their paternal grandfather in Jhelum since October 2023. However, the question of final custody and the country in which the children should live has been the subject of intermittent court battles in Pakistan spanning over two and a half years.
All the children, except the youngest, are attending school. They were made wards of court in England, and Surrey County Council had been pursuing their return through Pakistani courts. Meanwhile, their grandfather has been advocating for them to stay with him.
A spokesperson for Surrey County Council told the BBC that the council lacks the capacity to continue the application in Pakistan as English legal proceedings are concluding.
The ultimate custody decision remains pending, but current options indicate the children will continue living in Pakistan.
The grandfather's lawyer noted that the children hold joint nationality and may return to the UK in the future if they choose.
Background of the Case
It has been nearly three years since Sara Sharif’s body was discovered in a home in Woking on 10 August 2023.
By that time, her father, Urfan Sharif, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, had taken the five children and fled to Pakistan.
The family remained missing for several weeks. A relative of Urfan Sharif told the BBC that he assisted the family in evading police, including hiding them in a cornfield during a police raid.
On 11 September 2023, police located the children during a raid on Urfan’s father’s residence in Jhelum.
Initially, the children were placed in a childcare facility, but in October 2023, temporary custody was granted to their grandfather.
The adults returned to the UK on 13 September 2023 and were arrested upon arrival at Gatwick Airport.
Sara’s father and stepmother were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Her uncle was found guilty of causing or allowing her death and received a 16-year prison sentence. The judge described the cruelty involved as "almost inconceivable."
Following Sara’s death, her siblings were made wards of court, and an English court ordered their return to England.
Legal Proceedings and Challenges
Surrey County Council has been engaged in legal proceedings concerning whether it holds jurisdiction over the children in Pakistan.
The BBC has attended the Pakistani court hearings on more than a dozen occasions. During this time, the case has experienced multiple delays, partial hearings, restarts with new judges, and suspensions during summer recesses.
The eldest sibling, now a teenager, has been present at most of these hearings.
At a recent hearing, the judge acknowledged that the issues raised were "very important," but the Pakistani courts have yet to rule on Surrey County Council’s jurisdiction over the children.
Hearings concerning the children in the UK have been held privately, though the BBC has attended many of them.
In a December 2025 court order, the judge stated that wardship proceedings relating to the children would be dismissed in six months if no application to extend them was made and that the children were no longer under Surrey County Council’s care or control.
Council Statement and Public Engagement
Terence Herbert, Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, issued a statement saying:
"The council has done everything within our power to support the siblings and half-siblings of Sara Sharif in Pakistan."
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