'He was not present' Family of guilty father continue to blame stepmother for death

Urfan Sharif's family refused to believe he had killed his daughter, Sara, even after he told jurors: "I want to admit that it's all my fault."

- Emine Sinmaz, Haroon Janjua

"Urfan's admission has left us devastated and heartbroken," his brother, Imran Sharif, told the Guardian from the family's eight-bedroom home in Pakistan's northern city of Jhelum.

"Urfan is under significant pressure and I firmly believe that my brother is innocent and he can't kill his own daughter. He was not present at home when the incident happened."

He said Sharif must have been motivated to protect his wife, Beinash Batool. Sharif, 43, and Batool, were found guilty of murder yesterday after an eight-week trial at the Old Bailey. Sharif's brother, Faisal Malik, 29, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

Sharif's family had cast blame on Batool, who they stressed had refused to give her dental impressions during an investigation by Surrey police.