The Jhelum police have transferred all five children of Urfan Sharif to the Child Protection Bureau in Lahore. This action came a day after the children were ‘recovered’ from their grandfather’s residence.
Urfan Sharif is the father of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who tragically lost her life in their family home in Woking, Surrey, last month. Urfan, along with his wife, Beinash Batool, departed from the UK to Pakistan on August 9, a day before the discovery of the girl’s body by the police. The couple left with one other adult and five children.
The local court permitted the transfer of custody of these children to the Child Protection Bureau. They will remain in the bureau’s care until the arrest of their parents, who have been evading law enforcement since their return.
Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Syed Khurram Ali informed that the couple, along with the children’s uncle, are still at large, and police teams are conducting raids to locate them in potential hideouts.
Regarding their potential escape, the RPO stated that it would be impossible for the three suspects to leave Pakistan, as the Federal Investigation Agency’s Immigration Wing has heightened staff presence at all airports.
Relatives’ Non-Cooperation and Legal Disputes
He also mentioned that the couple’s relatives have not been cooperating, and some of them have taken the matter to the Lahore High Court, alleging that Urfan, Beinash, and Sara’s uncle are in police custody. The petitioners further claimed that the police had illegally detained around 10 other relatives of Urfan, a description that the RPO characterized as misleading.
The RPO expressed hope that the couple would surrender to the police soon, as they would not want their children to remain separated from the family for an extended period. He added, “If they did nothing wrong in London, they should feel free to hand themselves over to the police.”
The RPO also expressed displeasure with the role played by the couple’s relatives, describing it as “dubious” and suggesting that they were exacerbating the couple’s problems.
