A 10-year-old girl found murdered at home was “a bubbly girl” with a beautiful smile, her school has said.
Sara Sharif’s body was found at her family home in Woking, Surrey, early on 10 August, prompting a murder inquiry.
Jacquie Chambers, head of St Mary’s C of E primary school in Byfleet, said Sara would be “dearly missed”.
Three people who travelled to Pakistan before her body was found are believed to have gone to Islamabad and are wanted for questioning.
Ms Chambers said: “She was a bubbly, confident little girl who had the most beautiful smile. She was full of ideas and was very passionate about the things she believed in.”
‘Grieve and recover’
The head teacher said the pupil had been in Year 5 at the school, adding: “Sara will be dearly missed and, as a school community, we are all deeply affected by this tragedy.
“Our thoughts, prayers and sympathy are with those affected by this heart-breaking news.”
Ms Chambers said she could not make further comment due to the police inquiry, but said the school was “fully supporting partner agencies with their investigations”.
She added: “Our priority now is to support our school community as they grieve and recover.”
The three people who are wanted by the police are Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28.
BBC News has been told two police teams in Jhelum, north Punjab in Pakistan, are looking for Mr Sharif.
Surrey Police have said Mr Sharif, 41, made a 999 call from Pakistan shortly after landing in Islamabad with his partner, his brother and five children, aged between one and 13.
The call led officers to the house in Woking where they found the body of Sara who had sustained “multiple and extensive injuries”, likely to have been caused over a sustained period of time.
There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan.
Surrey County Council have confirmed that Sara was known to the authorities and a multi-agency review is under way.
Police have also been searching the family’s previous address in West Byfleet in Surrey.
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