RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on Monday ordered the restoration of the National Identity Card (NIC) of Arshad Khan, also known as Arshad Chai Wala.
Following the court’s decision, NADRA reactivated Arshad Khan’s identity card, while the NADRA Verification Board has confirmed his citizenship.
During the hearing, Arshad Khan’s lawyer Umar Ijaz Gilani informed the court that his client’s issue has been resolved and Arshad Khan and his family are regular Pakistani citizens.
The court remarked that blocking the identity card or passport of any citizen is tantamount to violating his constitutional rights.
The court disposed of the case on the petitioner’s request.
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In November 2024, a photographer captured Mr. Chaiwala, a young Pakhtun man, in Rawalpindi. The blue-eyed youth quickly went viral on social media and later launched his career as an artist.
Arshad, as he is known, went on to establish a chai cafe brand and expanded it into a chain across major cities in Pakistan and beyond. He received an investment of 10 million Pakistani rupees on the Shark Tank series. However, his life took a turn for the worse when Pakistani authorities suspended his passport and national identity card. Fortunately, following court orders, his national identity card has since been restored.
