Sara Sharif update: Father to face court after being charged with 10-year-old’s murder

Sara Sharif’s father, Urfan Sharif, is set to face court on Friday after being charged with the 10-year-old’s murder. He is among three people who will face trial after the child was found dead at her home earlier in August. 

Surrey Police said the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Urfan, 41, as well as Urfan’s partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, 28, all of Hammond Road, Woking.

They have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child. All three are set to appear at Guildford Magistrate’s Court. 

The trio travelled to Pakistan a day before police discovered Sara’s body in Woking on August 10. A post-mortem examination found the youngster had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries” over a “sustained and extended” period of time.

They were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai. Police said Sara’s mother has been informed of this latest development and is being supported by specialist officers.

Five of Sara’s siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to the South Asian country on August 9 with Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik.

It was previously reported that Mr Sharif was looking to book one-way tickets to Pakistan as soon as possible at around 10pm on August 8 - two days before Sara was found. Shortly after landing in Islamabad on August 10, Mr Sharif contacted emergency services in the UK, which led Surrey Police to the family home and Sara's body.

An international search was launched via Interpol for the trio of adults, with police in Pakistan trying to locate them on behalf of detectives in Surrey.

Mr Sharif and Ms Batool released a video statement last week in which Ms Batool said they had gone into hiding in Pakistan over fears police in the country would "torture or kill" them.

They also claimed members of their family had been harassed, and that they were willing to co-operate with the UK authorities.

Mr Sharif did not speak in the video, while Ms Batool read from a notebook. It was the first time they had publicly commented since Sara's death.