LAHORE: A Pakistani court on Tuesday ordered the five siblings of a 10-year-old girl who was found dead with extensive injuries near London put into a children’s protection center after they were located by police.
The police are continuing their search for the girl’s father and stepmother in connection with her death.
Sara Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking, on the southern outskirts of London, on Aug. 10. British police identified her father, Urfan Sharif, his wife, Beinash Batool, and Urfan’s brother, Faisal Malik, as people they want to speak to in the investigation.
An autopsy of the girl didn’t establish a cause of death but showed that she had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries, which are likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time,” British police said in a statement.
Urfan Sharif traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, with Batool and Malik on Aug. 9, bringing the five children with them. The couple then went into hiding, officials say.
The five children were recovered by police Monday evening from Urfan Sharif’s family home in Jhelum, about 175 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Lahore in central Pakistan.
The children, ranging in age from 1 to 13, were found after Interpol issued yellow notices for them. Yellow notices are used to help locate missing persons, often minors.
Police officer Nasir Mahmood Bajwa said the children have been in safe custody since their recovery. They were produced before the court on Tuesday under high security. The court ordered the children to be shifted to the custody of the Child Protection Bureau in Rawalpindi city, close to Islamabad.
Police earlier detained 10 relatives of Urfan Sharif, including his father, brothers and cousins, for interrogation in an attempt to pressure the couple to surrender.
Pakistan court orders 5 siblings of girl found dead near London put into child protection center
https://arab.news/gevu3
Pakistan court orders 5 siblings of girl found dead near London put into child protection center
- Police are continuing their search for the girl’s father and stepmother in connection with her death
- Urfan Sharif traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, with Batool and Malik on Aug. 9, bringing the five children with them
Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jet draws ‘strong interest’ at Riyadh defense exhibition
- Jets showcased as Pakistan seeks to expand defense exports
- Interest in JF-17 has heightened after May 2025 conflict with India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jet has drawn “strong interest” at the World Defense Exhibition in Riyadh, Pakistan’s state broadcaster said on Sunday, as Islamabad promotes the aircraft to international buyers at one of the region’s largest defense industry events.
The exhibition brings together defense officials, manufacturers and military delegations from dozens of countries, offering a platform for arms exporters to showcase equipment and pursue new contracts amid heightened global and regional security concerns.
Saudi Arabia has sought to position Riyadh as a regional hub for defense and aerospace exhibitions, using such events to foster partnerships and attract international manufacturers as part of broader diversification efforts.
Last year Islamabad signed a mutual defense pact with Riyadh and is reportedly discussing another defense agreement involving Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, although details have not been made public.
“At the World Defense Exhibition in Riyadh, the Pakistan Air Force’s JF-17 Thunder has attracted strong interest from visitors and defense experts, standing out among fighter jets displayed by the US, Saudi Arabia and other countries,” state broadcaster Pakistan Television reported.
Islamabad is attending the exhibition in the backdrop of talks with at least 13 countries, six to eight of which are in an advanced stage, for deals involving JF-17 jets made jointly with China as well as training aircraft, drones, and weapons systems, according to recent media reports.
Interest in the JF-17 jets has been bolstered by its operational visibility following the Pakistan-India military confrontation in May 2025, which Pakistani officials and defense analysts have cited as reinforcing the aircraft’s combat credibility.
Islamabad has increasingly positioned the JF-17 as a cost-effective multirole combat aircraft for countries seeking alternatives to high-end Western fighter jets. The aircraft is already in service with several foreign air forces and remains central to Islamabad’s defense export strategy.
Countries engaged in talks include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Nigeria as well as the government in eastern Libya led by Khalifa Haftar. Discussions on JF-17s and other weapons with Bangladesh and Iraq have been publicly acknowledged by Pakistan’s military, although more details have not been made public.
Almost all the potential buyers are Muslim-majority nations, like Pakistan. Many are from the predominantly Muslim Middle East, where Pakistan has historically been a security provider.
