Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Grandfather opposes UK return of Sara Sharif’s five siblings

Sara’s siblings, who lived mostly in the UK, were taken to Pakistan in August 2022 by their father, Urfan Sharif, stepmother, Beinash Batool, and uncle, Faisal Malik, shortly after Sara’s death.

Sara Sharif

Sara was found dead in her bed in Woking, southwest of London, on August 10, 2023. (Photo: Surrey Police)

MUHAMMAD SHARIF, the grandfather of Sara Sharif, has vowed to fight attempts to return her five siblings to the UK, claiming they are safer living with him in Pakistan.

Muhammad, 69, plans to appeal to the Lahore high court against the British government's efforts to bring the children back, The Times reported.


Sara’s siblings, who lived mostly in the UK, were taken to Pakistan in August 2022 by their father, Urfan Sharif, stepmother, Beinash Batool, and uncle, Faisal Malik, shortly after Sara’s death. They fled hours after the incident, as CCTV footage showed them leaving Heathrow Airport. After a month on the run, the three returned to the UK in September, leaving the children behind.

Urfan, Batool, and Malik were convicted last week in Sara’s murder case. The eight-week trial revealed the extreme abuse Sara endured before her death on 8 August 2022. Evidence presented at the Old Bailey detailed years of mistreatment, resulting in 25 broken bones, burns, and other injuries inflicted by Urfan and Batool.

Surrey county council, responsible for the children’s welfare, has applied to the Lahore high court to secure their return, the newspaper reported. Under an agreement between Pakistan and the UK, efforts are ongoing to repatriate individuals who are "wrongfully retained."

The children, now wards of court in the UK, are currently in Muhammad’s care at his home in Jhelum. Muhammad has stated that the children are happy and attending a local school. “They are not willing to leave me,” he said, asserting that he is the best person to raise them.

The Lahore high court adjourned the custody case until mid-January. In the meantime, Muhammad has voiced doubts about his son’s conviction, describing Batool as a strict stepmother but denying knowledge of Sara’s abuse.

UK MP Will Forster and Surrey county council are urging the British and Pakistani governments to ensure the children’s welfare, with the council stating it would house all siblings together if they are returned, The Times reported. A council spokesman reiterated that the children’s wellbeing remains the priority.

An independent child safeguarding review is ongoing to examine missed opportunities to protect Sara before her death.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less