The father of a 10-year-old girl whose tragic death in the UK sparked international attention will face trial for her murder next year. Sara Sharif’s body was discovered at her family home near Woking, southern England, on August 10, the day after her father, Urfan Sharif, flew to Islamabad.
Detectives received an early morning emergency call reporting Sara’s death from a man in Pakistan who identified himself as her father. The house was empty, leading to a manhunt coordinated by Interpol and the British foreign ministry in collaboration with Pakistani authorities.
Urfan Sharif, a 41-year-old taxi driver, traveled to Pakistan with his partner Beinash Batool, 29, his brother Faisal Malik, 28, and his other five children.
All three adults have been charged with Sara’s murder and appeared via video link before a judge at London’s Old Bailey court on Tuesday. They also face charges of causing or allowing the death of a child. The trio was arrested last week after arriving on a flight from Dubai, where they had spent a month in Pakistan.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Sara had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries” over an extended period of time. During Tuesday’s hearing, the defendants only confirmed their names and addresses and were remanded in custody until a pre-trial hearing scheduled for December 1.
The trial is expected to commence on September 2, 2024, and is projected to last for six weeks. The case has garnered significant attention due to the nature of the crime, and the trial will be closely followed by the public and media.