ISLAMABAD: A Kashmiri nationalist has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after he was ‘denied’ the renewal of his Pakistani identity card, allegedly for criticising Pakistan’s Kashmir policy.

Dr Shabbir Ahmed Chaudhry, a leader of the Kashmir National Party and founding member of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) filed a petition in the IHC after the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) did not renew his computerised national identity card for overseas Pakistanis (Nicop).

Dr Chaudhry was born the Bhimber district of Azad Kashmir and has been residing in the United Kingdom since 1966.

According to his counsel, advocate Nasir Shah, Mr Chaudhry applied for the renewal of his Nicop in June 2015 at the Pakistani High Commission in London but to date, he has not officially heard back from them.

An ID card is normally issued within six weeks. Mr Shah said Mr Chaudhry’s wife applied for her card at the same time and was issued one within six weeks. He said phone calls, letters and even an appeal from the Asian Human Rights Commission have fallen on deaf ears, and the concerned officials have not responded.