SARA Sharif’s fugitive dad is heading back to Britain tonight after fleeing to Pakistan a month ago – and now faces questions over her alleged murder.
Urfan Sharif is believed to be flying back to the UK a month after ten-year-old Sara was found dead at home in Woking, Surrey.
Police now have the opportunity to quiz him over the mystery of her death which prompted an international manhunt.
The schoolgirl was discovered in the early hours of August 10.
Urfan, 41, and his 29-year-old partner Beinash Batool had already left the UK for Pakistan overnight.
Now they have today boarded an Emirates flight from Sialkot in the Punjab to Dubai and are due to then transfer to London Gatwick, arriving back in Britain this evening.
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Five potential questions he faces include:
Why did he leave then call 999?
Cops have said they found Sara's body at her family home in Woking at about 2.50am on August 10, after receiving a 999 call from Urfan.
Surrey Police revealed the call was made from Pakistan, most likely the nation's capital Islamabad.
The force said: "Officers identified three people they would like to speak to as part of the ongoing investigation into Sara’s death.
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"These people have been identified as Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, 28.
"It is believed Urfan travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, in company with his partner and his brother on Wednesday, 9 August.
"There were five children with them aged between a year and 13 years old."
Sara's mother Olga Sharif has since said: “I need to know why she was left in that house whilst everyone else flew out of the country after she was already dead."
Did Sara fall down a staircase?
Sara's uncle Imran Sharif last month insisted she died when falling down stairs at home and breaking her neck.
Imran, Urfan's brother, made the claim after being taken in by cops in Pakistan for questioning though without being arrested or charged.
He reportedly told police that Beinash was there and watched the horror unfold.
According to Sky News, he said: "Beinash panicked and phoned Urfan.
"I found out what happened to Sara through the international media."
He was speaking after officers raided the Sharif family home in Jhelum, 84 miles south of Islamabad.
His suggestion has been rejected by Olga, 36, who now lives in Yeovil in Somerset.
She said: “I don’t want to hear from his brother. I’ve never met that brother, even when I was in Pakistan. I don’t know him.
"He could have just made that claim to protect his brother and try to stop questions being asked.
“If he believes that is what happened, then he could have been lied to by Urfan to try and win his family over.
“His baseless version answers none of my questions – if there was an accident you don’t leave the country in secret.
“The only person I want answers from is Urfan. He has to be questioned about what’s happened to my daughter."
Beinash has since insisted: "Imran did not give a statement that Sara fell down the stairs and broke her neck.
"This was spread through a Pakistani media outlet. I am very worried about Imran's safety."
Why didn't Urfan say anything?
Sara's death was last week described as "an incident" by Beinash as she appeared alongside Urfan in a video posted online.
She also suggested they were "willing to co-operate with the UK authorities and fight our case in court".
But while Urfan was seen sitting beside her, he made no comment.
The clip shared last Wednesday was the first time the couple had been seen publicly since Sara's death.
Beinash also said her family had gone into hiding because "everyone is scared for their safety".
She added: "The kids are unable to attend school as they're afraid to leave the house. No one is leaving the house.
"The groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear for safety."
What were Sara's injuries?
A post-mortem heard Sara suffered "multiple and extensive" injuries, though there has not yet been "an established cause of death".
These were described as "likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time".
Surrey Police's Det Supt Mark Chapman said: "This has significantly changed the nature of our investigation, and we have widened the timescale of the focus of our enquiry.
"As a result, we are trying to piece together a picture of Sara’s lifestyle but we cannot do this without the public’s help."
Sara's mum has spoken about the harrowing ordeal of going to view her body.
Olga said: "One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised.
"Even now when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like.
"No mother should have to see something like that."
Where has he been?
While police say Urfan's first call to them probably came from Islamabad, the Sharif family home is in Jhelum.
Cops have raided at least 20 properties in Pakistan as part of their investigation.
Sara's five siblings, aged between one and 13, were also taken to Pakistan where a court yesterday ordered they be sent to a government childcare facility.
They had been found after police raided the Jhelum home of Sara's grandfather Muhammad Sharif, Urfan's dad.
The Sharif family's Pakistani lawyer has claimed Sara's dad and stepmum fled "in fear" on advice from a British barrister.
Malik Asif Taufique said: "Urfan and Beinash ran from the UK because a British lawyer there made them terrified, saying they would have a harsh punishment in the UK and they would lose custody of their children.
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"They would be mistreated for being Muslims and a big scandal will be made against their faith."
He also said the pair had been in regular contact with British police.
Here is how events have unfolded since Sara Sharif’s body was found:
- August 17 – Sara Sharif's body found with "multiple and extensive" injuries after her dad Urfan calls 999 from Pakistan
- August 19 – international manhunt launched as Surrey Police name Sara's father, stepmother and uncle in connection with her death
- August 23 – uncle claims Sara "fell down the stairs and broke her neck" before family denies making statement
- August 29 – inquest hears that Sara's death "likely to be unnatural"
- September 6 – Sara's stepmother says family wants to "fight our case in court"
- September 7 – Pakistani cops raid 20 homes in Jhelum and Mirpur to draw out Sara's relatives
- September 9 – cops detain ten close relatives of Sara to put pressure on Urfan
- September 11 – cops recover five children thought to have travelled to Pakistan with Urfan
- September 13 – Urfan and Sara's uncle and stepmother thought to be returning to UK
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