Three adults who British police want to speak to in connection with the death of Sara Sharif are returning to the UK from Pakistan.
Her father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool and uncle Faisal Malik were the subject of an international manhunt.
They are understood to have checked into a flight from Sialkot airport and are expected to arrive in the UK this evening, Sky News understands.
Sara, who was 10 years old, was found dead in her home in Woking on 10 August after her father called 999 from Pakistan.
He had flown there with Ms Batool and Mr Malik from the UK a day earlier.
British officers launched a murder investigation after Sara was found dead, while a post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered “multiple and extensive” injuries.
It comes after a judge in Pakistan ruled that five children who travelled to the country with the three adults would be taken into care.
The children, aged between one and 13, were recovered from the house of Sara’s grandfather in the northeastern city of Jhelum on Monday after a raid by local police.
Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: “The safety and welfare of these five children has always been a priority for us.
“A court hearing today has ruled that they will be taken to a Pakistani government childcare facility and we will continue to support our partners in ensuring that the welfare of the five children remains a priority.
Police outside the family home in Woking
“Our enquiries remain ongoing to locate Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik, who we would like to speak to as part of our enquiries into Sara’s death.”
Willing to ‘fight case’
In a video shared with Sky News, Ms Batool said last week the family is willing to cooperate with British authorities and “fight our case in court”.
“Our family in Pakistan are severely affected by all that is going on,” she added, claiming her family had been forced into hiding.
“The groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear for safety.”
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Sharif family ‘willing to co-operate’
Read more:
Sara Sharif: A timeline of what has happened
Police in Pakistan raid homes in search for Sara’s family
She also denied reports that Mr Sharif’s brother Imran had claimed Sara fell downstairs, saying that was spread through a Pakistani media outlet.
Ms Sharif and her husband separated in 2015 – and Sara, along with her older brother, lived with her until 2019, when a family court determined they should reside with their father.
While she retained equal rights to visit her children, Ms Sharif said she found it increasingly challenging to maintain those rights as time went on.
