Claims of former Pakistani MP selling ice cream in India melt under scrutiny

Pakistani politicians selling ice cream in India? The claim that a former Pakistani Member of Parliament now sells ice cream for a living in India has been circulated by several Indian media outlets. However, official records and statements from purported employers suggest this narrative contains significant inaccuracies, raising questions about its authenticity.

According to reports widely circulated by Indian outlets, a man named Dabaya Ram, currently living in Haryana’s Fatehabad district, once served as an elected MP during Benazir Bhutto’s first term from 1988 to 1990.

Ram, currently residing in Ratangarh village in the Ratia region, reportedly entered India in 2000. Since then, he has established his residence there and lives with his family.

An Indian news website reported that his family initially came on a one-month visa, which was later extended multiple times, eventually up to five years.

Ram has been seeking Indian citizenship for the past 25 years, according to his statements to local media. Of his 34 family members, six individuals—including two women—have successfully obtained Indian nationality, while the remaining 28 relatives are still awaiting approval of their applications.

He also claimed to own 25 acres of ancestral land in Pakistan’s Bhakkar district, located in the Panchgireh area of Dariyapur Tehsil in Pakistan's Punjab, still registered under his grandfather’s name.

However, upon closer examination of the facts, the credibility of this narrative begins to fall apart.

An archive search by Nukta through the official records of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shows that no individual named Dabaya Ram, Devaya Ram, or Allah Dabaya, all variations used in Indian press, has ever served as a member of either Pakistan’s National Assembly or any provincial legislature.

When contacted on the phone numbers listed on Ram's cart in Haryana, the owner—speaking on condition of anonymity—confirmed that Dabaya Ram does indeed exist and works for him as an ice cream vendor.

However, the employer cast serious doubt on the claim about his alleged political career.

“He sells ice cream here, yes. But a former Pakistani MP? I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem true,” the employer said.