ISLAMABAD, Sept 15 Dr Shama Khalid, the first governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, died of cancer in a hospital here on Wednesday afternoon. She was 60.

She was sworn in as governor of the region on March 23 this year. According to family sources, Dr Shama had been suffering from cancer for several months and was under treatment in Islamabad.

She will be laid to rest in the Cantonment Graveyard in Abbottabad on Thursday evening. She has left behind one son and two daughters. Her husband had died a few years ago.

Dr Shama belonged to Astore Valley and her father Wazir Ashraf Khan was a law graduate from the famous Aligarh University. She excelled in education and completed her MBBS from Peshawar in 1968. It is said that she was the first woman from Gilgit-Baltistan region to become a doctor.

After her marriage, Dr Shama settled in Abbottabad where she started her practice. She worked in the population ministry for 20 years. During that period she carried out social work in her area and regularly visited Gilgit-Baltistan to organise medical camps there. She also worked for social organisations, including “Save the Children”.

Dr Shama wanted to turn Gilgit-Baltistan into a developed area and as governor prepared a number of schemes to improve the standard of education in the region, particularly for girls. She devoted a lot of time in providing relief to the people who first faced a natural disaster following massive landslides and later unprecedented floods.

Our Correspondent in Gilgit adds The Gilgit-Baltistan government has announced a day of mourning on Thursday.

Chief Minister Mehdi Shah said all government offices and educational institutions would remain closed and national flag would be lowered to half mast.

The speaker of G-B legislative assembly is likely to take over as acting governor.