ISLAMABAD/LONDON – Pakistan’s social media sensation Arshad Khan, popularly known as “Chaiwala”, has initiated proceedings before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) to invalidate a figurative trademark registered by his former UK business partner, Nadir Khan Durrani.
The proceedings mark the latest development in a long-running dispute over the ownership and commercial use of Mr Khan’s name, likeness and the Café Chaiwala brand.
Mr Khan and his business partner, Syed Kazim Hasan, filed the application, accusing Mr Durrani of breach of contract, abuse of trust, and unauthorised use of intellectual property.
According to documents submitted on their behalf by Kulachi Solicitors, Mr Durrani registered a figurative mark incorporating Mr Khan’s likeness after their business relationship ended and, the applicants claim, after he no longer had permission to use their intellectual property.
Mr Durrani disputes their account of the commercial relationship and has said he will contest the proceedings.
From viral fame to UK expansion
Mr Khan rose to international prominence in 2016 after photographer Javeria Ali captured an image of him preparing tea at a roadside stall in Islamabad. The photograph, particularly his distinctive blue eyes, went viral and turned him into an overnight celebrity in Pakistan, India and elsewhere.
The brand moved towards international expansion in 2021, when a UK master franchise agreement was signed with Nadir Khan Durrani and Yawar Akbar Durrani, according to the legal claim.
The relationship later deteriorated amid disagreements over royalties, payments, branding, contractual obligations and intellectual property rights linked to the Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan outlet in Ilford, east London.
Yawar Durrani subsequently resigned from the UK company after the dispute emerged.
Nadir Durrani, however, has maintained that the UK operation independently developed significant elements of the business and invested heavily in establishing the cafés. He has also alleged that the franchisor provided insufficient operational and marketing support.
Bad-faith registration alleged
The applicants say the UK franchise arrangement was formally terminated on April 8, 2025. They argue the agreement granted the UK franchisees limited, conditional rights to use the Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan intellectual property only for the duration of the commercial relationship.
The applicants claim that Mr Durrani applied to register the disputed figurative mark in his own name on Aug 19, 2025, more than four months after the franchise arrangement had ended.
They contend that the registration was made in bad faith under Section 3(6) of the UK Trade Marks Act 1994.
The filing further alleges that the mark directly depicts Mr Khan’s face and that Mr Durrani had no continuing consent or licence to register or commercially use his likeness following the termination of the franchise.
According to the applicants, the continued use of the image could lead customers to believe that businesses displaying it remain authorised, endorsed or controlled by Mr Khan.
They have also alleged that café businesses in Ilford and Slough continue to use the disputed logo without Mr Khan’s consent.
Meanwhile, Mr Khan’s side describes brothers Asif Khaliq and Yousuf Khaliq as the current UK master franchise holders for the brand. They operate a Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan outlet in Tooting and plan to open more branches in the United Kingdom.
The tribunal will determine whether the trademark was registered in bad faith and whether the applicants have established the rights and commercial goodwill required to support their challenge.
