When a photo of a strikingly handsome tea-seller from Islamabad went viral back in 2016, the internet responded the way it does best — with a whirlwind of likes, retweets, modelling contracts, and memes. That young man, Arshad Khan, affectionately dubbed Chaiwala, became a symbol of unexpected stardom and dreamy blue-eyed destiny.
Today, Arshad is once again in the spotlight — not for pouring tea, but for pouring his heart out in a legal petition before the Lahore High Court. Justice Jawad Hassan, known for handling sensitive constitutional matters, has issued notices to the federal government and other respondents after Arshad challenged the sudden blocking of his Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport.
From a tea stall in Islamabad to fashion runways in Milan, Arshad’s journey reads like a Netflix original. But now, he finds himself in a legal limbo, one that questions not his looks, but his very identity.
A Cup of Controversy
According to Arshad’s plea, his CNIC and passport were recently blocked without any prior notice — a move that has put his career, mobility, and dignity on hold. “It’s as if they boiled my life and threw out the leaves,” he might have said, had he been in a mood for metaphor.
The implication? Authorities may be questioning his citizenship — possibly linking it to his Pashto-speaking background and the current political campaign that’s sweeping across the country: Pakistan’s intensified drive to deport Afghan refugees.
The federal government, under pressure to tighten internal controls, has been pursuing a controversial campaign to send undocumented Afghan nationals back across the border. Thousands of refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, have been told to pack up and return — some to homes they’ve never even seen.
In the haze of this crackdown, many Pakistani citizens of Afghan descent or those with Pashtun roots have started facing extra scrutiny. And it seems that even being the country’s most photogenic tea-seller doesn’t make you immune.
From Tea to Tension
Arshad Khan hails from Mardan, a city in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. His rise to fame was as accidental as it was sensational. One moment he was pouring chai in the Sunday bazaar of Islamabad; the next, he was signing contracts with modelling agencies, appearing on television talk shows, and opening his own café, aptly named “Café Chaiwala.”
He symbolized possibility — the kind that breaks class and language barriers. His virality had nothing to do with privilege, and everything to do with timing, charm, and social media magic.
Now, to have his identity questioned is more than just bureaucratic inconvenience — it’s a painful reminder that fame can be fleeting, but suspicion lasts much longer.
Brewing International Drama
Meanwhile, the Afghan government is watching Pakistan’s refugee policy closely — and critically. In a recent appeal to the United Nations, Afghan authorities asked the international body to intervene and request Pakistan to adopt a more lenient and humane approach towards Afghan nationals, many of whom have lived across the border for generations.
The Afghan government has stated that forced deportations are putting immense pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile infrastructure, economy, and human rights situation. In particular, they argue that women, children, and elderly Afghans are being disproportionately affected by the mass returns.
Pakistan, on the other hand, cites security and economic reasons for the crackdown. With inflation high and general elections recently concluded, the government is eager to show results on the law-and-order front. But many observers believe this campaign has blurred the lines between undocumented migrants and legitimate Pakistani citizens who simply happen to “look or sound Afghan.”
Identity Crisis, or a Crisis of Identity?
In legal terms, Arshad’s case is simple: he wants his CNIC and passport unblocked so he can travel, work, and live like any Pakistani citizen. But in symbolic terms, the case is anything but simple. It touches on how the state views identity, documentation, and the delicate balance between national security and individual rights.
Justice Jawad Hassan’s decision to issue notices means the court is taking the matter seriously — a positive sign in a case that could set precedent for others caught in this grey zone between belonging and exclusion.
For Arshad Khan, this is not just about paperwork — it’s about dignity, future opportunities, and the right to not have your nationality brewed into a bureaucratic mess.
As he awaits his next hearing, one can’t help but think: perhaps the man who once poured tea for strangers now holds a bigger spoon in the discussion about citizenship, belonging, and what it means to be Pakistani.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Coverpage’s editorial stance.
