Lahore: ‘Chaiwala’ Arshad Khan has officially regained his national identity card following a court-ordered review and government verification of his citizenship status.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Monday that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had restored Khan’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) after confirming that he and his family are bona fide Pakistani citizens. The announcement effectively ends a years-long legal limbo that threatened Khan’s identity, career and freedom of movement.
Khan’s counsel, Barrister Umer Ijaz Gilani, told reporters that the CNIC had been “mistakenly blocked” in 2017 after a false television report claimed the viral sensation was an undocumented Afghan national. The rumor not only triggered the suspension of Khan’s CNIC and passport, but also jeopardized his international business ambitions amid Pakistan’s escalating crackdown on undocumented migrants.
“After the court took notice in April this year, the matter was sent to the highest levels of government,” said Gilani. “A NADRA verification board thoroughly reviewed family records and documents going back decades. It concluded that Arshad Khan is indeed a Pakistani citizen, and his CNIC was accordingly unblocked.”
Court Declares Block, a Violation of Rights
The case was heard by Justice Jawad Hassan of the LHC Rawalpindi Bench, who observed that arbitrarily blocking the identity documents of a verified citizen amounted to a violation of constitutional rights. In a written order, the judge noted that the issue had been resolved after NADRA’s verification and subsequently dismissed the constitutional petition.
“Based on a fake rumor telecast by a news channel, his entire future career and business was at stake,” the court noted in an earlier hearing. The petition was dismissed.
Global Fame, Local Struggles
Arshad Khan, a native of Mardan, first gained international attention in October 2016 when a photographer’s Instagram image of him pouring tea at Islamabad’s Sunday Bazaar went viral for his striking looks and piercing blue eyes. The overnight fame transformed the tea-seller into a pop culture icon. He was quickly signed by modeling agencies, featured in commercials and eventually launched his own beverage brand Café Chai Wala, with branches in Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
However, Khan’s ascent was abruptly disrupted when his documents were blocked in 2017 amid Pakistan’s intensified campaign to repatriate undocumented Afghans. Since 2023, over 800,000 Afghans have been repatriated as part of the government’s efforts to enforce immigration laws, raising concerns among ethnic minorities and cross-border families facing document-related challenges.
International Travel
Now that his CNIC has been reinstated, Khan plans to renew his passport and resume international travel to oversee the expansion of his Café Chai Wala brand. Speaking briefly to the media, Khan reaffirmed his identity:
“I am a Pakistani, and I will always remain one,” he said.
The resolution of the case brings relief to Khan and his supporters, many of whom viewed his struggle as symbolic of the broader challenges faced by ordinary citizens in navigating Pakistan’s bureaucratic and legal systems.
