Nadra blocks Arshad Chaiwala’s CNIC, passport over Afghan refugees row

Social media personality Arshad Khan, popularly known as ‘Arshad Chaiwala,’ has challenged the blocking of his CNIC and passport by Nadra in the Lahore High Court (LHC). Following the petition, Justice Jawad Hassan issued notices to the federal government and other concerned authorities.

Arshad Khan, originally from Mardan, rose to fame in 2016 after a photograph of him pouring tea went viral on Instagram.

According to a report by Dawn, Khan was born in Pakistan to Afghan refugee parents and submitted a birth certificate issued by the Pakistani government.

The petitioner, represented by Barrister Umar Ijaz Gilani, filed the case under Article 199 of the Constitution, arguing that Nadra and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally by suspending his identity documents.

Read: Afghan refugees born in Pakistan request nationality

During the hearing, Gilani contended that despite Arshad’s international recognition, the actions taken by the authorities did not only jeopardise his career but also severely damaged his reputation.

He argued that Nadra's requirement for proof of residency dating back to 1978 lacked legal merit, especially since Arshad’s family has documented proof of Pakistani citizenship.

The court was further informed about relevant verdicts from the Sindh High Court, Islamabad High Court, and Lahore High Court, which held that blocking identity documents without due process was unlawful.

In response, the Assistant Attorney General and Nadra’s legal counsel challenged the maintainability of the petition, arguing that the petitioner had not submitted sufficient documentation to prove his Pakistani citizenship.

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However, the court declared the petition admissible and directed Nadra to decide the matter within a month. The court also instructed that an interim decision be issued in accordance with the law.

He approached the court under Section 4 of the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951, seeking formal recognition of his citizenship and the issuance of an identity card.

Additionally, the court barred any government agency from taking adverse action against the petitioner until Nadra reaches a final decision.