Ali Choudhry, the Brisbane based gay man who was expecting to deported to Pakistan this week has been given a temporary reprieve from the government.

Choudhry, who has been in a relationship with Queensland doctor Matthew Hynd for four years, was denied a Partner Visa by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.

Although he grew up in the USA, Choudhry was born in Pakistan and he was expected to be deported there despite the country have life sentences for homosexuality. Choudhry knows few people in Pakistan and does not read or speak the language.

As Choudhry has now lodged a review with the Migration Review Tribunal he will be allowed to stay in Australia past the January 8 deadline he had been given.

Despite the fact that Choudhry and Hynd were amongst the first people in Queensland to obtain a civil union, prior to the Newman government winding back the legislation, the couple were unable to convince the Department of Immigration that they’re relationship was genuine.

Earlier today an online petition with over 120,000 signatures was presented to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s office.  Last week a spokesman from the Minister office declined to comment on the case to the ABC’s AM program. The department later said in a statement that homosexual and heterosexual couples were assessed in the same way.

OIP Staff