PESHAWAR: Senior gynaecologist Dr Parveen Azim, known for promoting women medical education, died on late Wednesday night and was laid to rest in Hayatabad Township here.

Wife of paediatric surgeon Dr Said Alam Mahsud, she graduated from Khyber Medical College and later completed specialisation in gynaecology and obstetrics from College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. She also did MS.

Dr Parveen, 73, got married in 1995. She is survived by one daughter Dr Maryam Mahsud.

She served as head of gynaecology department at Khyber Medical College Peshawar and was recipient of lifetime achievement award conferred upon her in recognition of her services and outstanding contribution to medicine and medical education.

After retirement, Dr Parveen joined Gandhara Medical College, where she also got a lifetime achievement award. She courageously overcame breast cancer and, 10 years later, battled tongue cancer. On June 10, 2026, she suffered a severe stroke.

Besides being a distinguished physician, she was also a poet and writer. She authored the acclaimed Urdu book “Gorkhi Ki Maa” on which a PhD thesis was completed

She was a very literary person. Her colleagues say that she was innocent-looking but was very brave and always supported the helpless people. She wrote fiction and the characters were always downtrodden people.

Dr Parveen remained very friendly with her patients and tried to bring smile on the faces of seriously-ill people in hospital.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2026