The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, ruled that family members of Urfan Sharif, the father of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, cannot be detained by Pakistani authorities for questioning regarding his whereabouts in the investigation of her murder in the UK.
Sara Sharif's body was discovered at her family home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10, triggering a murder investigation by Surrey Police. The incident led to an international manhunt for her father Urfan Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool, and his brother Faisal Malik, who had all traveled to Pakistan before her body was found.
Initial findings from a recent post-mortem examination unveiled that Sara had sustained "multiple and extensive injuries" over an extended period, intensifying the urgency of the investigation. The Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership also initiated a review, shedding light on Sara's previous interaction with social services, according to The Sun.
Despite the absence of a formal extradition treaty between Pakistan and the UK, Surrey Police continued to collaborate with Pakistani authorities to locate the individuals - Mr Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28.
Two of Urfan Sharif's brothers were detained by Pakistani police, following Interpol's instruction for questioning, but were subsequently released without charges. The Lahore High Court's ruling now prohibits their further detention, although authorities intend to continue questioning them.
Surrey Police issued an appeal for information, encouraging anyone with knowledge of Sara or her family to come forward. Detectives stressed the significance of even seemingly insignificant details in the ongoing investigation.
Speaking to the BBC outside the court in Pakistan, Urfan Sharif's father and one brother reiterated that they hadn't been in contact with him and didn't know his whereabouts.
They informed the police that they think he had come to the city of Jhelum, which is their hometown, but later left.
Jhelum Police also said that they still have no information about the whereabouts of Urfan Sharif, his partner Batool, and his brother Malik.
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