Sara Sharif's grandfather granted guardianship of her siblings in Pakistan

A Pakistani court granted Muhammed Sharif legal guardianship of Sara Sharif's five siblings. This matters because the children had been living in Pakistan since 2023 while courts and authorities in Pakistan and England considered their future. The decision gives their grandfather formal responsibility for their care.

The children were asked to speak to the judge. The eldest said they were comfortable and settled, and responded “that's all good” when told their grandfather would become their guardian. Muhammed said he was relieved after years of legal battles and wanted the children to stay healthy and receive a good education.

The siblings will remain with their grandfather for now. They will keep their British passports and, according to Muhammed, return to the UK when they reach the right age. He also said the family would help them return to a normal life.

The court decision affects five siblings. They are now aged between 16 and four, so the group includes teenagers and a very young child. Their situation matters because they have remained together in Pakistan after Sara Sharif was killed in England, while authorities debated whether they should stay or return.

The children were brought to Pakistan in August 2023 by Sara's father, stepmother and uncle. After the family hid for weeks, police found the children at their grandfather's house. They were initially placed in state childcare. Their grandfather later received temporary custody in October 2023, and he has said that all but the youngest now attend school in Pakistan.

The siblings are currently settled with their grandfather under the new guardianship order. The eldest told the judge they were comfortable. Muhammed said they should receive good education and care, and that they will keep British passports and return to the UK when they reach the right age.

Legal guardianship is a formal arrangement that gives an adult responsibility for looking after children and making important decisions for them. Here, the Pakistani court made Sara's grandfather, Muhammed Sharif, guardian of her five siblings. The ruling matters because it replaces temporary custody and legal uncertainty with a formal caregiving role.

Muhammed said his responsibility is to ensure the children receive “the best possible education and care”. He also said his hope is that they stay healthy. The children were asked about their situation in court, and the eldest said they were comfortable and settled when told their grandfather would become their guardian.

The guardianship means the children can continue living under their grandfather's care in Pakistan. Muhammed said the family would help them return to a normal life. He also said they will keep their British passports and return to the UK when they reach the right age, although the article gives no further details about that timing.

The guardianship remained unsettled because the children were connected to legal proceedings in both England and Pakistan. They were made wards of an English court, while Pakistani courts considered who should care for them there. This created a prolonged dispute over whether they should remain with their grandfather or be brought back to the UK.

In Pakistan, Muhammed received temporary custody in October 2023, but a final guardianship decision was delayed until Saturday. In England, Surrey County Council had been trying to bring the children back through Pakistani courts. The grandfather opposed that plan and fought for them to stay with him.

Surrey withdrew from the case in June. It said it had no ability to pursue the application in Pakistan because English proceedings were coming to an end. With no final Pakistani decision until Saturday, the children remained in legal limbo. The new ruling now settles guardianship in Pakistan, although the article does not describe every remaining legal step.

The guardianship ruling gives the children a settled legal caregiver in Pakistan. Before it, Muhammed had only temporary custody, and the family faced uncertainty over whether the siblings would stay with him or return to England. The decision therefore brings greater stability to their home and care arrangements.

The children told the judge they were comfortable and settled. All but the youngest are attending school in Pakistan. Muhammed said he would ensure they receive education and care, and that the family would help them return to a normal life after the trauma surrounding Sara's death.

For now, the siblings will remain with their grandfather. They will keep their British passports, and Muhammed said they will go back to the UK when they reach the right age. The article does not specify that age or set out a detailed relocation plan, so their immediate future is continued care and schooling in Pakistan.

Several arrangements were considered after the children reached Pakistan. They were initially placed in state childcare after police found them at their grandfather's house. Later, Muhammed was given temporary custody, allowing the siblings to live with him while the courts considered a permanent decision.

A different option was returning the children to the UK. The children had been made wards of an English court, and Surrey County Council tried to bring them back through courts in Pakistan. Muhammed opposed that plan and argued that the siblings should remain with him. The article does not mention another named family placement.

Surrey withdrew from the case in June, saying it could not pursue the application in Pakistan because English proceedings were ending. The Pakistani court then granted Muhammed guardianship. The children are now settled with him, and all but the youngest attend school in Pakistan, while their British passports remain valid.

A child made a ward of an English court is placed under that court's legal oversight for important welfare decisions. The court can control or review arrangements affecting the child. This is different from everyday care, which may be provided by a relative, foster carers or state services. The article identifies the English court status but does not detail every power involved.

The five children were wards of an English court while living in Pakistan. After police found them at their grandfather's house, they were initially placed in state childcare. Muhammed then received temporary custody in October 2023. These arrangements concerned where the children lived and who cared for them day to day, while their English court status remained relevant.

Surrey County Council sought their return through courts in Pakistan, but later withdrew. The Pakistani court has now granted Muhammed guardianship. Thus, English legal oversight and Pakistani day-to-day guardianship were separate parts of the case, although the article does not explain whether the English wardship has formally ended.