A 43-year-old Pakistani man who was ordered to be deported due to his extensive criminal record has won a court case and will be allowed to stay in the UK to fulfil his son’s need to learn about Islam and Pakistani culture.

Muhammad Asif Karim arrived in the UK on a visitor’s visa in 1998 and never travelled home again. He has been convicted seven times for 21 offences, including the sale of heroin and cocaine.

Protected by the European Convention on Human Rights

Karim served four years for drug trafficking and avoided deportation by testifying in a murder case, but lost witness protection when he was caught for further offences.

The UK Immigration Service ordered Karim deported in 2015. In 2023, the deportation was halted by a lower court based on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to family life.

The court ruled that it would be “disproportionately harsh” to deport Karim, even though his son lives with his British mother and only sees his father twice a month.

The son told the court that his father teaches him about Islam, Pakistani culture and his own upbringing, which the court deemed “fundamental” to the boy’s identity. The mother confirmed that Karim has a “positive impact” on her son – advising him on education and addressing masculine issues, from careers to shaving.

Pakistani Dealer Allowed To Stay In The UK To Teach His Son About Islam

🇵🇰Muhammad Asif Karim, 43, amassed 21 offences after arriving on a visa to visit the UK in 1998 and never going home.

🇵🇰He only sees his son by a white British mother twice a month, an immigration tribunal… pic.twitter.com/iAST6NpGS2

– James Goddard (@JamesPGoddard90) May 30, 2025

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration appealed the decision as it was “based on speculation” without independent confirmation, but it was rejected by a higher court which emphasised that Karim has no criminal convictions in the last ten years, that he is in poor mental health and that the deportation has been delayed.