The 87-year-old former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Mohammed Shah passed away on Tuesday (January 6). The president of the Awami National Conference, Shah was rushed to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar following severe cardiac arrest. According to the doctor at the SKIMS, Mr Shah died of heart attack after he was hospitalized in the afternoon.

 

The veteran leader took hold of the office of J&K CM in 1984 when 18 National Conference legislators defected from the party and brought down the then government of Shah's brother-in-law Farooq Abdullah. The Congress supported Shah at that time. His party the Awami National Conference (ANC) could not win a single seat in recently concluded J&K assembly elections.

 

Popularly known as Gul Shah, he was married to Khalida, the eldest daughter of the legendary Kashmiri leader and founder of the National Conference, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah. Although he was known as an able administrator, he was often criticised for being arrogant. Ghulam Mohammed Shah had fought alongside his father-in-law against the autocratic Dogra rule in the state.