A relative of Sara Sharif’s stepmother has urged her to return to the UK and hand herself in to the police.
It comes as officers investigate the death of 10-year-old Sara, who found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August.
Police want to speak to Sara’s father Urfan Sharif along with his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Shahzad Malik.
All three are believed to have travelled from the UK to Pakistan the day before Sara’s body was discovered.
A cousin of Ms Batool has now urged her to “come back to the UK” and hand herself in to the police.
It is the first time anyone from Ms Batool’s family has spoken to the media.
Speaking to Sky News, the relative, who asked not to be named, said: “Beinash should come back to the UK.
“I don’t know where she is. But I’m worried about her. I’m worried about her kids.
“She should come back to the UK, go to the police and tell them exactly what happened.”
She added: “I don’t know – my family don’t know – what happened. It could have been an accident; a misunderstanding.”
Ms Batool’s cousin – who is originally from the city of Gujrat in Pakistan – said Ms Batool was estranged from her parents, having eloped to marry Mr Sharif.
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“The relationship [with her family] is finished,” the relative added.
“She married secretly, and her father said, ‘she is not my daughter’.
“She hasn’t spoken to her parents since.”
The comments from Ms Batool’s relative come after Mr Sharif’s father – Sara’s grandfather – urged his son to hand himself over to police as part of the investigation.
Attempts to locate family in Pakistan
Police believe Mr Sharif, along with Ms Batool, Mr Malik, and five children, travelled to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad the day before Sara’s body was discovered.
Mr Sharif went on to call 999 from Pakistan on the day she was found, expressing concern for his eldest daughter’s safety, according to officers.
Police in Pakistan have been trying their “level best” to locate the family, while Interpol and other agencies are also involved in the hunt to find them.
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Last month, Jhelum police told Sky News that Sara’s uncle, Imran Sharif, had been in custody but not under arrest.
According to the force, he told police that the family line was that Sara fell at home.
A post-mortem last month revealed Sara had “suffered multiple and extensive injuries” that were “likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time”.
Her cause of death has yet to be determined – but an inquest has heard it is “likely to be unnatural”.
She was previously known to authorities, according to Surrey County Council, while Surrey Police said they had “limited and historic contact” with Sara’s family.
Detectives from the force are continuing to investigate Sara’s death, while her biological mother, Olga, is being supported by specialist officers.
They would like to speak to anyone who knew Sara or her family.
“No piece of information is insignificant, so if you can help, please contact us,” a spokesperson for the force said.
