Brigadier General Muhammad Siddiq Salik: Biography

Brigadier ecumenical Muhammad Siddiq Salik (1935) (September 6, 1935 rarified 17, 1988), was a 1 star general in the Pakistan Army and former music director-general of the Inter run Public Relations who headed ISPR from August 1985 till his death. Brigadier- world(a) Salik is most known as a close associate of former Pakistani President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Siddique Salik was born in village Manglia Kharian, Gujrat District, Punjab. He belongs to a noble Jat family. Salik schooled in Lahore and graduated from Punjab University earning a degree in English literature and internationalistic relations.Before receiving his commission in the Pakistan Army, Salik had taught English literature in fewer colleges in Lahore. Salik fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In 1971, Salik, as Major, was stationed in east Pakistan, when the 1971 Pakistan-India (fought between 26 March-16 December) and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (fought between 3 December-16 December) took place. Cap tured by Indian troops on December 19, 1971, Salik was initially incarcerated in Agra jail forwards being shifted to various other prisons as a Prisoner of War.He was eventually handed over to Pakistan under the Simla Agreement which vouched for exchange of prisoners. Salik was a celebrated writer. He wrote an insightful book titled Witness to turn in (Urdu version Meinay Dhaka Doobtay Dekha) based on his reminiscence of the war. In 1977, General Zia became President of Pakistan following a bloodless coup. Zia-ul-Haq removed civilian officers from screen posts and appointed a new military junta, which included Salik amongst its members.On August 17, 1988, Salik was traveling with President Zia in his tied(p) as his press secretarial assistant and director general inter services public relations, alongwith U. S. ambassador Arnold Raphel, when the plane crashed under mysterious circumstances killing all on board. Salik authored cardinal Urdu and 3 English books. Among these, th e Witness to Surrender (ISBN 81-7062-108-9) recounts the 1971 Pakistan-India war, as seen by Salik who was stick on there as the Public Relations Officer. His other books include humaa yaran dozak(a recollection of his years as a risoner of war after the fall of Dacca, eastbound Pakistan), ta damay tehreer (Urdu), emergency, pressure cooker (both novels in Urdu), Salute (biography of his years in army), relegate vs Politics, A Case study of Pakistan. All his books became best sellers. Brigaidier Siddique Salik is survived by his widow,three daughters and a son. His son Sarmad Salik is a known Islamabad based journalist. He has been director news of state run TV channel Ptv and director up-to-the-minute affairs of Ary news besides having worked for national and international newspapers and TV networks.