London: For Imran Yousaf, the young doctor of Pakistan-origin, who was one of the parties to the legal petition challenging the controversial guidelines of Britain's Department of Health, the decision of House of Lords came rather late.

Yousaf had committed suicide on 19 January 2007 because he was adversely affected by the April 2006 rule which discriminated against overseas graduates. In a 4-1 ruling yesterday, the House declared that the Department of Health was wrong in issuing the April 2006 guidelines that discriminated against overseas graduates, mostly Indians, for employment in its health services.

Amidst the wave of cheer over the ruling that went in favour of Indian and non-European Union doctors, many wistfully remembered Yousaf, who had lent his name to the legal challenge when no one else had come forward. Yousaf, who was in his late 20s and worked for a while in Lancashire, had moved to Britain in 2004 from a village near Lahore. He was among the thousands who were adversely affected by the changes to immigration rules in March 2006.

When the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) decided to initiate legal action, it needed an applicant who was willing to allow his name to be used as an individual in the court proceedings. Yousaf, who faced the prospect of serious financial and other problems due to changes, agreed to lend his name. Ramesh Mehta, president of BAPIO said: "Being unemployed and still looking for work, going up against the government was a very brave thing to do."

Source : PTI