Sara Sharif’s father requested ‘urgent one-way flights’ to Pakistan hours before reporting daughter's death to police
3 September 2023, 18:29 | Updated: 8 September 2023, 14:53
Urfan Sharif said he needed flights to Pakistan 'as soon as possible' when he made the urgent request.
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Sara Sharif's body was found at a property in Woking after police were called from Pakistan by her father, Urfan Sharif, on August 10.
Mr Sharif, a taxi driver, had not long touched down in Islamabad, Pakistan when he reported his daughter’s death.
It was only hours before he flew to the country that he had asked business man Nadeem Riaz for plane tickets.
Nadeem Riaz, 46, a businessman with a money transfer shop that also operates as an ad hoc travel agency, had known Mr Sharif for 11 years.
Speaking to The Times, he revealed that Mr Sharif, who had been a long-time client of his, called him to ask for eight urgent flights to Islamabad on August 8.
“He said he needed to book as soon as possible,” Mr Riaz said.
“I asked why and he said his cousin had passed away in Pakistan. He sounded normal. No different to his usual self.”
The pair continued to communicate over WhatsApp after the call, where Mr Sharif asked for updates on the tickets.
Mr Riaz went on to ask the father what type of tickets he wanted, to which he replied: “One way”.
Read more: Sara Sharif's cause of death 'undetermined' - but is 'likely to be unnatural'
The next day Mr Sharif, his five children, his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik flew out from Heathrow to Pakistan - but Mr Riaz was unaware that Sara was being left behind.
Sara’s father called the police in the UK shortly after landing to inform them the body of his daughter was in the family’s Horsell, near Woking, home.
Prior to the death of Sara Sharif, Mr Riaz and Mr Sharif were in regular contact as the taxi driver would often use Mr Riaz’s services to send money to one of his brothers in Pakistan.
After learning of Sara’s death, he told the outlet: “For the first few days after it happened, every time I looked at my own daughter I felt so sad for Sara.
“I love my daughter so much. How could anyone leave their daughter?”
Mr Riaz is now assisting police with their enquiries into Sara’s death.
Sara’s cause of death is "not yet ascertained" but is likely to be "unnatural", an inquest opening into her death at Surrey Coroner's Court heard recently.
Police are continuing to carry out an international manhunt for Sara's father, stepmother and uncle who are believed to have fled to Islamabad the day before the youngster's body was discovered.
Surrey Police are appealing for information to help them piece together a picture of Sara's lifestyle prior to her death.
They widened the timescale of their investigation after the post-mortem examination revealed that Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries, likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time.
Sara's mother, Olga Sharif, is being supported by specialist officers.
