Sara Sharif’s grandfather says he will fight to keep her siblings in Pakistan, calling it the “safest place for them”.
Muhammad Sharif, paternal grandfather of the murdered 10-year-old, said he will appeal to the High Court in Pakistan to stop Sara’s five siblings from being returned to the UK, the Sunday Times has reported.
It comes as Will Forster, Liberal Democrat MP for Woking, where Sara lived, said hundreds of people attended a “very moving” vigil in her memory on Sunday evening.
“So many are heartbroken by her loss,” Mr Forster said on X.
Sara’s siblings remain in the city of Jhelum with efforts to return them to the UK still ongoing.
Their identities are protected by a court order.
They were taken to Pakistan by Urfan Sharif, Sara’s step-mother Beinash Batool and her uncle Faisal Malik on August 9 last year, a day before Sara’s body was discovered in a bunk bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey.
Upon arrival, they were left in the care of their paternal grandfather but were taken into state care after being discovered by Pakistani police during efforts to locate Sharif, Batool and Malik.
The children are now back in the care of their grandfather.
He told The Sunday Times said: “The legal proceedings concerning the custody of the children are ongoing in the Lahore High Court.
“They are enrolled in a reputable school, and we ensure their safety by personally transporting them to and from school.
“I am their guardian and this is the safest place for them to live in, they have an association with me and they are not willing to leave me. We will win the case.”
The 69-year-old’s son Urfan and Batool were convicted of the Sara’s murder at the Old Bailey last week.
Malik was found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
Her five siblings were last September made wards of court by Mr Justice Hayden, meaning they needed to be returned to the country, because such children cannot be removed from England and Wales without approval.
Surrey County Council has applied to the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, to begin efforts to bring the children back to the UK.
It remains unclear whether a court in Pakistan will authorise their return or when this will happen.
The Sunday Times reports that the High Court in Lahore last week adjourned the latest hearing in the custody case until mid-January while the children remain in the care of their grandfather.
A Surrey County Council spokesperson said: “We are continuing to work our way through this highly complex situation, sensitively and carefully, working closely with all of the agencies concerned.
“Our overriding priority remains the wellbeing of the children and we request that their privacy is respected.”
Sharif, Batool and Malik will be sentenced on Tuesday.
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