[2][11] He joined the Attorney-General's Department as a state counsel in 1975 after a short while returned to practising law.

[12] He worked as a part-time journalist on the Dinapathi daily newspaper whilst studying at Ceylon Law College.

[4][13] The Black July anti-Tamil riots of 1983 and the ensuing civil war between Tamil militants and the Sri Lankan government caused apprehension amongst the Muslim population.

[4] According to M. M. Zuhair, the SLMC was later formed as a political party in order to prevent Muslim youth of the east from joining the LTTE: "I had retainers from the Eastern Courts and the late M.H.M.

They had lost confidence in both the UNP and the SLFP, and that was why they were joining the Tamils fighting for autonomy, he told me, and if this is not stopped, this would spell great danger, more for the Muslims outside the North-East.

I spoke to Ashraff, I told him, the time has come for us to address this growing danger of Muslim boys joining the LTTE.

He was ready to give up his lucrative practice and form a Muslim Party, as the only way to arrest all possible damages.

[4] In 1985, violence, stoked by the Sri Lankan government, erupted between Tamils and Muslims living in the Kalmunai-Karaitivu area, causing Ashraff to re-locate to Colombo.

[14] The SLMC supported United National Party candidate Ranasinghe Premadasa at the 1988 presidential election.

[4] Ashraff played a key role in the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka which reduced the cut-off mark to enter Parliament from 12.5% to 5%, helping smaller parties such as the SLMC.

[17] Prior to the election the SLMC had entered into an electoral pact with main opposition People's Alliance (PA).

[19] Earlier, in 1999, Ashraff had founded the National Unity Alliance (NUA) with the aim of creating a "united Sri Lanka by 2012".

[4][19][22] On returning to Sri Lanka Ashraff settled his differences with the government and resumed his cabinet position.

[25] The wreckage of Ashraff's helicopter was found in flames on Bible Rock near Aranayake in Kegalle District.

[22][25] By the time the SLAF rescue team landed and reached the site, the police, assisted by locals, had removed most of the bodies.

[22][25] Ashraff's funeral was held on the same day, at around midnight, at Colombo's Jawatta Muslim burial ground.