ISLAMABAD: A single camera click on a chilly October evening in Islamabad transformed the life of Arshad Khan, a humble tea seller with striking blue-green eyes, into an international sensation. Nine years later, the young man once known only as “Chaiwala” has reinvented himself as a successful entrepreneur with a café chain spanning Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
Khan’s journey from pouring tea at a roadside stall to signing modeling contracts and appearing in music videos was nothing short of meteoric. What began as viral fame turned into a brand when he launched Café Chaiwala in Islamabad. Today, his outlets stretch across the capital — from F-6 Markaz to new rooftops — and, more into London, including Ilford Lane and Tooting, where he opened a branch in January 2025.
Speaking to We News English in Islamabad, Khan, 26, revealed he is preparing to expand operations to Rawalpindi. He also disclosed that a US-based production company is in the final stages of negotiations to make a film on his life, which is set to be sponsored by an international telecom giant.
Currently residing in Islamabad with his family, Khan emphasized that he prefers to associate himself with positive advertising and films that project a constructive image.
“My dream is to establish an institute for underprivileged students where they can gain both education and skills, so they don’t face hurdles in finding employment,” he said.
But behind the success story lies turbulence. In November 2024, Khan secured a PKR 10 million investment on Shark Tank Pakistan, cementing his reputation as a savvy entrepreneur. Months later, however, his dream faced uncertainty when authorities suspended his passport and identity card over a disputed claim that he was of Afghan origin. His legal team insists the allegation stems from a 2017 media rumor.
Arshad Khan confirmed to We News that Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has cleared his documents and issued him a national identity card.
“I now plan to approach the Lahore High Court to seek dismissal of the case filed against him,” he said..
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had demanded that Khan provide proof of his family’s origins before the 1978 Afghan War. “When NADRA asks someone to show pre-1978 records, it is because they suspect the person may be descended from Afghan refugees,” his lawyer, Umer Ijaz, explained. “But Khan is not the son of a refugee, and his father received his national identity card in 1984 — something impossible for a refugee under strict regulations at the time.”
For Arshad Khan, the boy whose life changed with a camera click, the battle now is not about fame or fortune — but about proving his right to remain the face of Pakistan’s most famous cup of tea.
For many, Arshad Khan’s story remains a symbol of how social media can rewrite destinies — but also how fragile such fame can be when caught between politics, identity, and bureaucracy. From a viral tea seller to a global café owner, his life reflects both the promise and peril of instant stardom in Pakistan.
“I myself remained uneducated because of poverty and lack of resources. Now, I want to ensure that poor children can acquire both learning and livelihood skills,” he said.
