India-born Khalid enters House of Lords

Lucknow-born Khalid Hameed, High Sherrif of Greater London, has been appointed to Britain's Upper House as one of the six new non-party political peers.

Hameed, a hospital management expert, has been chosen for promotion of international understanding and the development of young people, the House of Lords Appointments Commission said in an official announcement.

Hameed has been chairman of the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council since 1997. He is also the High Sheriff of Greater London and Chairman of Alpha Hospitals. He was earlier executive director and chief executive of the Cromwell Hospital.

He is involved in a number of organisations and charities, which help develop harmony between diverse faiths and cultures in the United Kingdom.

Hameed, who was made a Commander of the Excellent Order of the British empire in 2003, won the Sternberg Interfaith Award in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to furthering Christian-Muslim-Jewish relations in the UK.