In a UK court, family members of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, including her 41-year-old father Urfan Sharif, step-mother Beinash Batool (29), and uncle Faisal Malik (28), have entered pleas of not guilty to charges of murdering the British-Pakistani girl.
Sara was discovered dead at her home in Woking, southern England, on August 10, with a post-mortem revealing “multiple and extensive injuries” sustained over an extended period.
Appearing via video link from Belmarsh Prison and Bronzefield Prison, the defendants are denying the allegations in this high-profile case. Sara’s body was found after an emergency call was made from Pakistan by an individual claiming to be her father. The house was empty, prompting an international manhunt involving Interpol and collaboration between the UK’s foreign ministry and Pakistani authorities.
The trio had departed for Pakistan a day before Sara’s body was discovered, accompanied by Sharif’s five other children. Upon their return from Dubai in September, they were arrested. The trial is scheduled to commence in September 2024 and is expected to last six weeks. The case has garnered significant attention, prompting questions about the circumstances surrounding Sara Sharif’s tragic death.
