Ashraf Karim

**Ashraf Karim** was the cheating husband of Sufia Karim and father of Shireen Karim and Sohail Karim.

Ashraf first arrived in Albert Square in July 1987 to inform Ali and Sue Osman that he would be selling their flat for capital but wanted to offer them first refusal. Sue later learnt that Ashraf was not legally allowed to evict them.

He returned with Sufia in January 1988 to take over the local shop. In mid-1988, Ashraf was disappointed to learn that his daughter, Shireen, was dating Ricky Butcher. He split the pair up and proceeded to try and force Dr Legg to perform an intimate examination on Shireen to prove she was still a virgin.

In 1989, Ashraf was revealed to be continuing an affair with a woman named Stella. He would often meet her secretly and enjoy her company, but when he was caught out in late 1989 by his family, Ashraf attempted to terminate the affair. He was unsuccessful however, and continued to meet up with Stella privately right up until the family agreed to move to Bristol in June 1990. Ashraf's affair with Stella also caused his daughter's engagement with a young man, Jabbar Ahmed, who he and Sufia found for her earlier in the year, to be called off after he was caught out again in May 1990.

## Biography

### 1987-1990: Life in Walford

Ashraf first arrived in Walford in July 1987 to inform Ali and Sue Osman that he would be selling their flat for capital, but wanted to offer them first refusal. Ali and Sue were desperate to keep the flat but were not willing to pay Ashraf £80,000 for it, so Sue went to Carmel to work out what to do. Carmel told Sue to visit the Citizens Advice Bureau where Sue learnt Ashraf was not legally allowed to evict them. Ashraf left empty-handed and returned in January 1988 with his wife, Sufia Karim, to run the local shop.

Ashraf employed Arthur Fowler to work at the shop alongside him, but their working relationship was tested when Arthur offended an Asian customer. Ashraf decided to make Arthur a paperboy following the incident, but when Arthur was teased by several residents, he decided to stop delivering the newspapers, causing further animosity between the pair. By July 1988, Ashraf had fired Arthur.

In mid-1988, Ashraf attempted to force Dr Legg to perform an intimate examination on his daughter, Shireen Karim, to prove she was still a virgin, as his son, Sohail Karim, had informed him that Shireen was dating Ricky Butcher. Dr Legg refused to perform the examination, putting Shireen's welfare first.

In 1989, Sufia figured that Ashraf was continuing an affair he had previously had with a woman named Stella. Sufia was devastated and originally fled the Square, but shortly returned and was convinced by Ashraf that he had finished the affair. This was not true though, as Ashraf continued to see Stella, despite his promises to be faithful. Ashraf's affair caused tension among the family as Shireen and Sohail struggled to come to terms with their father's infidelity.

In 1990, Ashraf and Sufia decided it was time to find Shireen a future husband. They found her Jabbar Ahmed, who Shireen quickly fell in love with and agreed to marry. However, the pair's engagement was soon called off when Ashraf was caught at a restaurant with Stella by Jabbar's uncle. Shireen was heartbroken to learn her marriage would not go through, and the family agreed to move to Bristol in June 1990 to start afresh following the turmoil.

## Background information

* The Karim family were axed by then executive producer Michael Ferguson in 1990.

## First and last lines

"Surprised to see me?" (First line, to Naima Jeffery)

"Say bye to your father." (Final line, to Ricky Butcher)