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Sara Sharif's grandfather granted guardianship of her siblings in Pakistan - Published Sara Sharif's paternal grandfather has been granted guardianship of her siblings by a court in Pakistan. The decision comes after years of legal limbo following the murder of 10-year-old Sara by her father and stepmother in 2023. All five children, who are now aged between 16 and four, have been living in Pakistan since 2023. They were asked to speak to the judge in court, where the eldest said they were comfortable and the siblings were settled. Sara's grandfather, Muhammed Sharif, told the BBC he was relieved to be granted guardianship after three years of legal battles, saying his hope is that the children "stay healthy" and receive "a good education". "It is my responsibility to ensure they get the best possible education and care," he said. When told by the judge that the grandfather would become their guardian, the eldest child responded saying "that's all good". The five children have been in Pakistan since August 2023, when they were brought to the country by Sara's father, stepmother and uncle after Sara was killed. The family was in hiding for weeks before the children were discovered by police at the grandfather's house. They were initially put into state childcare. The adults flew back to the UK and were arrested at the airport. Sara's father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool were found guilty of Sara's murder. Sharif was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison and Batool received a minimum of 33 years. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, was found guilty of causing or allowing her death and given a 16-year sentence. Sara had been hooded, burned and beaten during a "campaign of torture" that lasted two years before her body was found at the family home in Woking, Surrey. In Pakistan, Sara's grandfather was given temporary custody of her siblings in October 2023. All but the youngest are now attending school in Pakistan, the grandfather has said. Speaking following Saturday's decision, their grandfather said "we will help them to return to a normal life". "Hardships can happen to any person at any time, at any place," he said, adding "we will move forward". Muhammed said that he speaks to his son Urfan once a week or every second week. "Not with the children, not regarding the case. Nothing else, just to ask about each other's well-being". When asked about allegations that he had helped hide the three adults, Muhammed said they had left soon after arriving in Jhelum and that at the time he had told them to return to the UK. The children's grandfather added that the siblings will keep their British passports and go back to the UK "when they reach the right age". The children were made wards of court in England, and Surrey County council had been trying to bring them back through the courts in Pakistan. Their grandfather has been fighting for them to stay with him. Surrey withdrew from the case in June, saying it had no ability to pursue the application in Pakistan, as English proceedings are coming to an end. A final decision on their guardianship had not been made in Pakistan's courts until Saturday. - Published11 December 2024 - Published17 December 2024
document fetched 2026-10-11 02:44 · canonical https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqdjvdpxmvn3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss