Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse before her body was found at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in 2023.

Her father Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were sentenced to life in prison following a trial at the Old Bailey last year.

Sharif must serve a minimum of 40 years in prison before he is to be considered for release, while Batool received a minimum of 33 years.

Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment for causing or allowing her death.

Court officials have confirmed to the BBC that Sharif, Batool and Malik have all lodged applications for leave to appeal against their sentences at the Court of Appeal.

In the cases of Sharif and Batool, the life sentence was automatic, so the pair are to appeal against the minimum terms they would spend in prison.

A hearing date for the appeals has not yet been set.

The trial heard how a post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered injuries including six probable human bite marks, an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August last year.

Next to Sara’s body, which was found by police in a bunkbed, was a note in her father’s handwriting which read: “Whoever see this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.”

Sharif initially claimed that Batool was responsible for Sara’s death, and told the jury he had made a false confession in the note and a subsequent phone call in order to protect his wife.

However, in a dramatic U-turn under cross-examination, Sharif later accepted “full responsibility” for his daughter’s death.

Sara had more than 70 new external injuries when her body was found by police, including 11 fractures to her spine and signs of a traumatic brain injury.

Sharif, Batool and Malik fled to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara’s five siblings on 9 August 2023, the day before her body was found.

From Pakistan, Sharif called police in England and told the operator that he “legally punished” Sara and she died.

Sara, whose battered body was discovered at her family home in Woking in Surrey last year, was removed from school by her family, despite teachers having noticed marks on her face and referred her to social services.

Home schooling her allowed the abuse at the hands of her father Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, to carry on “beyond the gaze of the authorities”, Mr Justice Cavanagh told them on Tuesday as he sentenced them to life in prison.

During Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on Wednesday, Sir Keir vowed to update MPs on the steps taken to “learn those lessons” from her death.

Woking MP Will Forster told MPs: “I know the prime minister is aware of the case of my constituent Sara Sharif, who was brutally tortured and appallingly murdered by her father and her stepmother.

“I want Sara’s legacy to be one where she is the last vulnerable child to be killed by people that should have looked after her.”

Will the prime minister ensure that an independent inquest and review is taken into Sara’s death and it’s held immediately in the new year so we can learn why public authorities failed, so we can ensure that it never happens again?”

Sir Keir replied: “He rightly raises this absolutely harrowing case and it is important that all the lessons are learned.

“There is an independent process going on but we must be clear about overhauling children’s social care to keep young people safe and looking again about the framework for home schooling amongst other things.

“So we need to learn those lessons. We are taking steps.

“There is a process going on at the moment and I’ll update the House in due course.”