Sara Sharif's three relatives detained upon arrival in UK

Officials in the United Kingdom detained three relatives of Sara Sharif on the alleged involvement in her killing as they arrived in Britain on Wednesday, a month after they ran to Pakistan.   

"This evening... three people were arrested in connection with this investigation at Gatwick Airport," Surrey Police Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman said in a televised statement.

"Two men, aged 41 years and 28 years, and a woman aged 29 years were arrested on suspicion of murder after disembarking a flight from Dubai," he added, without naming the trio in line with UK police practice.

The body of the ten-year-old minor was recovered at the family's residence near Woking, southeast England, on August 10. She had multiple and extensive injuries on her body after a post-mortem examination was run on her body noting that the wounds were sustained for a long period of time.

According to the police, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, moved to Pakistan to take refuge with relatives before Sara's body was found.

The suspects flew from Pakistan to Britain via the gulf hub.

"They are currently in custody and will be interviewed in due course."

A Pakistan police spokesman had earlier said that Sharif, Batool and Malik had voluntarily returned to Britain with the prior knowledge of authorities.

"I confirm that they have not been arrested but they left voluntarily," Raja Haq Nawaz, a lawyer for Urfan Sharif's father, also told AFP.

Scared for safety

Earlier this month, Sharif and Batool appeared in a video distributed to the media, in which Batool said they were "willing to cooperate with UK authorities and fight our case in court".

"All of our family members have gone into hiding as everyone is scared for their safety," she said, alleging malpractice by the Pakistan police hunting them.

In the two-and-a-half-minute low-quality video there was little mention of Sara's death, which Batool called "an incident".

Surrey Police have said the fugitive trio were thought to have flown to Islamabad on August 9, the day before Sara was discovered at the family´s home in the village of Horsell, just outside Woking.

"An early morning emergency call alerting officers to Sara's death was made from Pakistan by a man identifying himself as the father," detectives said.

The house was otherwise empty, and the manhunt continued with Interpol and Britain´s foreign ministry coordinating with authorities in Pakistan.

Five of her purported siblings, aged between one and 13 and brought to Pakistan with the adults, were discovered at the home of Urfan Sharif's father Monday.

A magistrate placed the children into state protective services Tuesday.

Unrecognisable body

Surrey Police have said they are working with other local and international authorities to secure the children's safe return.

But it is unclear where they will ultimately be sent or for how long they may be kept in the custody of Pakistan's child protection bureau.

Sara's Polish mother, Olga Sharif, had been informed of the arrests and is being supported by specialist officers, the UK police also noted.

"Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Sara's death at this very difficult time," Chapman said.

Olga Sharif has said in an interview that she could barely recognise her daughter's small, battered body when she identified her at the mortuary last month.

She told Polish television one of her cheeks was swollen and the other side of her face was bruised.

Olga and Urfan separated in 2015, and Sara and her older brother had lived with their mother until a family court determined in 2019 that they should reside with their father, according to UK media.

Sara had been removed from primary school in April to be homeschooled by her stepmother and was known to the local council´s social services department, the British reports said.