Chaudhry Risks Citizenship Revocation, Arrest and Deportation
Civil society organisations led by the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) have called on the Malawi Government to revoke the citizenship of Pakistani-born businessman Mahmood Azhar Chaudhry, arrest him, and deport him to Pakistan.
Addressing a news conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday, the civil society leaders argued that if authorities are unable to prosecute Chaudhry, the least the State should do is strip him of his Malawian citizenship and deport him.
HRCC Board Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba accused Chaudhry of fraudulently presenting himself for years as Pakistan’s consular representative in Blantyre, despite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming that he never held diplomatic status.
Mkwezalamba cited a 2022 letter from the ministry to Ritz Attorneys-at-Law, which clarified that although Chaudhry had been issued an identity card, it did not confer diplomatic privileges or immunities under Malawi law.
The activists further alleged that Chaudhry erected a signpost identifying his residence as the “Pakistan Consulate” and drove vehicles bearing “CC” registration plates reserved for accredited diplomats.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa told journalists that legal analysts have consistently argued that Chaudhry unlawfully enjoyed diplomatic privileges, an act that undermined Malawi’s obligations under international diplomatic norms.
“This is not a trivial matter. Misuse of diplomatic symbols is a criminal offence under the Penal Code. If revocation of citizenship and deportation were not pursued, at the very least prosecution for lying to public officers should have followed. Instead, government’s silence has emboldened impunity. We demand action,” said Kaiyatsa.
The civil society organisations warned that continued inaction by the authorities risks eroding public confidence in public institutions and could encourage further abuse of diplomatic symbols and privileges.
Governance experts have also previously called for Chaudhry’s deportation, arguing that decisive action would send a strong message that the government has zero tolerance for fraud and the abuse of public trust.
The activists further disclosed that they formally wrote to the Attorney General last Friday, demanding urgent action on Chaudhry’s case and several other governance-related matters.
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