LONDON, Feb 19: A Pakistani doctor committed suicide after learning that new British rules had diminished his chances of getting a job in the United Kingdom and had also retrospectively raised the qualifying period from four years to five for immigrants to be granted indefinite leave to remain in the country.

According to the Independent newspaper, like generations of other young medics from the Sub-continent, Dr Yousaf, 28, thought he was desperately needed in the UK to shore up an NHS critically short of trained staff.

But two years later, having used up all his family savings and borrowed heavily from friends, Dr Yousaf was unemployed. Not that he had been idle in the meantime, having paid for and passed with flying colours the exam to practise in Britain.

He was also studying for the finals of a Royal College of Physicians post-graduate qualification. Friends recalled how he wrote hundreds of letters every week to hospitals and applied for thousands of posts since setting up home in Burnley.

In March last year, the British government had made it even harder for Dr Yousaf when the Department of Health ruled that UK (and EU) postgraduates would take priority over overseas applicants. Dr Yousaf was incensed by the changes and sued the department.

But in the run-up to last week's ruling of the High Court, in which it was found the government had acted lawfully even though it failed to consult properly over the changes, things became too much for the young doctor. Increasingly depressed and indebted, friends became worried about him. A fellow doctor invited him to stay with him in Bedford.

Dr Yousaf was found hanging in a room above his friend's surgery last month. Although he left no note, beside him was a letter from immigration officials saying there would be no further extensions on his visa.

Dr Yousaf was thought to have owed £13,000, a small sum by British standards, but a fortune in Pakistan.