Sara Sharif’s siblings to remain in Pakistan with paternal grandfather
A court in Pakistan has awarded guardianship of Sara Sharif’s five siblings to their paternal grandfather, Muhammad Sharif, after years of legal proceedings. The children, aged four to 16, will remain with him in Jhelum, despite Surrey County Council’s unsuccessful bid to bring them back to England; the ruling matters because it settles where they will live and who will care for them.
The siblings were taken to Pakistan by their father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, after Sara was killed in 2023. The eldest told the judge they felt settled in Pakistan, and all but the youngest attend school there; they are understood to retain British passports. Their father and stepmother were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, while Sara’s uncle was jailed for allowing her death.
- Sara’s five siblings will remain in Pakistan with their grandfather.
- A court granted him guardianship after years of legal proceedings.
- The children are aged four to 16 and retain British passports.
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Sara Sharif died in 2023 in the care of her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, both of whom were convicted of her murder. Her uncle was also jailed for allowing her death. After Sara's death, her five surviving siblings, aged between four and 16, were taken to Pakistan.
Surrey County Council, the English authority responsible for child welfare in the area, attempted to bring the siblings back to England through the courts. These efforts proved unsuccessful after a Pakistani court decided instead to award guardianship of the children to their paternal grandfather, Muhammad Sharif, in the city of Jhelum. The children retain British passports and have established lives in Pakistan, where most attend school.
The ruling settles the question of where the children will live and who will care for them. The eldest sibling told the court they felt settled in Pakistan, suggesting the children themselves preferred to remain. The decision represents the conclusion of a prolonged legal process about the siblings' future.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The children themselves have expressed that they feel settled and secure in Pakistan, with most now attending school and maintaining routines with extended family. The grandfather, as a blood relative, can provide culturally appropriate family care, whilst further disruption could cause additional trauma to children already grieving their sister. They retain British passports, preserving their option to return to England later.
The case against
English child welfare authorities have a duty to ensure these vulnerable children have access to the protections and professional support embedded in English law and social services. English oversight can provide trauma-informed care, educational safeguards, and institutional accountability that may be difficult to guarantee in Pakistan, and the children's long-term interests may require the framework and resources only their home country can reliably offer.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Sara Sharif’s grandfather wins custody of her five siblings in Pakistan where they were taken by 10-year-old’s father and stepmother after couple killed her”.