Key facts
- The siblings of Sara Sharif will remain in Pakistan.
- Surrey County Council has withdrawn its legal case to return the children to the UK.
- The children have been living with their paternal grandfather in Pakistan since October 2023.
- A final custody decision for the children is still pending.
- Sara's father and stepmother were jailed for life for her murder.
The siblings of Sara Sharif, the 10-year-old girl murdered by her father and stepmother, will remain in Pakistan. Surrey County Council announced it has withdrawn its legal case to bring the children back to the UK.
The five children have been living with their paternal grandfather in Jhelum, Pakistan, since October 2023. Their custody and the country they should live in has been the subject of protracted legal battles in Pakistan for over two years.
Surrey County Council stated it could no longer pursue the application in Pakistan as English proceedings are concluding. The children were made wards of court in England, and the council had sought an order to return them to England via the High Court in Lahore. However, Pakistani courts have not ruled on the council's jurisdiction.
Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, were sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, was convicted of causing or allowing her death and received a 16-year sentence. The children were found in Pakistan in September 2023 after the family fled the UK following Sara's death, which was discovered on August 10, 2023. They were initially placed in a childcare facility before their grandfather was granted temporary custody.
While the final custody decision is pending, the current options suggest the children will remain in Pakistan. Their grandfather's lawyer noted that the children retain dual nationality and could return to the UK in the future if they choose.