1706104 (Refugee)

The applicant, a citizen of Pakistan and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, sought review of the decision to cancel his student visa and refuse his application for a protection visa. The dispute centred on whether the applicant had a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention reason, specifically political opinion, should he be returned to Pakistan.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the applicant's subjective fear of persecution was objectively reasonable, given the evidence presented. This required the court to assess the applicant's credibility and the plausibility of his claims of potential harm due to his political affiliation with the PTI. The court also considered whether internal relocation within Pakistan was a viable and safe option for the applicant.

The court found the applicant's testimony to be inconsistent and unconvincing, leading to the conclusion that he was not a witness of credit. The court noted the absence of any evidence of actual physical or verbal harassment suffered by the applicant. Furthermore, the court considered the significant delay in the applicant lodging his protection visa application. Based on these findings, the court determined that the applicant had not established a well-founded fear of persecution. The court affirmed the decision under review.