Arabic version: منح وصاية أشقاء سارة شريف في باكستان

According to BBC News, Sara Sharif’s paternal grandfather has been granted guardianship of her five siblings by a court in Pakistan. The ruling follows years of legal limbo after Sara, 10, was murdered by her father and stepmother in 2023.

All five children, now aged between 16 and four, have lived in Pakistan since 2023. They spoke to the judge in court, where the eldest said the children were comfortable and settled. After being told their grandfather would become their guardian, the eldest replied: “that’s all good”.

The children were taken to Pakistan in August 2023 by Sara’s father, stepmother and uncle after she was killed. The family hid for weeks before police found the children at their grandfather’s house. They were initially placed in state childcare, while the adults returned to the UK and were arrested at the airport.

Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, were found guilty of her murder. Sharif received a minimum 40-year prison term and Batool a minimum 33-year term. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, was convicted of causing or allowing her death and sentenced to 16 years.

The grandfather was given temporary custody in October 2023 and said all but the youngest child are now attending school in Pakistan. He has said the siblings will retain British citizenship, allowing them to choose whether to return to the UK. Surrey County Council had sought to bring them back through Pakistan’s courts, but withdrew from the case in June, saying it could not pursue the application as English proceedings were ending. A final guardianship decision was made on Saturday.