Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. ...

Siddique Salik ( ur, ) born 6 September 1935, died 17 August 1988), , was an officer in the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

, combat artist, humorist, novelist, and a memoirist who served as 8th

Director-General A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a governmen ...

of the

Inter-Services Public Relations The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) ( ur, ), is the media and PR wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It broadcasts and coordinates military news and information to the country's civilian media and the civic society. The ISPR directo ...

from 1985 until his death in 1988 in the plane crash in Bahawalpur with then President. In addition, he also authored two eyewitnessed books on the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali ...

which took place in erstwhile East-Pakistan, giving accounts of politics and the barbaric strategies used by the military.

Early life

Education and military service

Siddique Salik was born in a Manglia, a village, located in

Kharian Tehsil Kharian Tehsil (Punjabi and ur, ) is a tehsil located in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan. The land lies between the rivers of Chenab and Jhelum and in the North the foothills of the mountains of Kashmir. Village and towns of Tehsil Kharian Th ...

Gujrat District Gujrat (Punjabi and ur, ), is a district of Punjab Province in Pakistan. It is bounded on the northeast by Mirpur, on the northwest by the River Jhelum, which separates it from Jhelum District, on the east and southeast by the Chenab Riv ...

Punjab, British India Punjab was a province of British India. Most of the Punjab region was annexed by the East India Company in 2 April 1849, and declared a province of British Rule, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British ...

on 6 September 1935. He hailed from a Jat clan of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

and his family was traditionally

Peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasa ...

who worked in a local farm. He was educated in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

, having attended the Islamia College in the

Civil Lines Civil Lines (archaically White Town) are the residential neighbourhoods developed during the British Raj for its senior civilian officers like Divisional commissioner and District magistrate. These townships were built all over the Indian subconti ...

in 1955. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

and later obtained master's degrees' in English literature and

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such ...

from Islamia College in 1960. After college graduation, he taught

British literature British literature is literature from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. This article covers British literature in the English language. Anglo-Saxon (Old English) literature is inc ...

in various colleges in

visiting professor In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic for which the visitor ...

while working as an associate

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...

for the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

. In 1964, he joined the

when he gained commissioned as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Guides Cavalry The Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army which was raised in 1846 as The Corps of Guides. During more than a hundred and fifty years of military service, the regiment has earned the reputation of one of ...

of the Frontier Force. and joined the

(ISPR) as a War correspondent. In 1969, he was promoted as

major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

while serving as military journalist in the ISPR.

Personal life

Brig. Salik was married and had three daughters and a son. His son, Sarmad Salik, is a political journalist who has worked for '' PTV News'', for

ARY News ARY may stand for: * Abdul Razzak Yaqoob, a Pakistani expatriate businessman * Andre Romelle Young, real name of Dr. Dre * Ary and the Secret of Seasons, an action adventure video game * ARY Digital, a Pakistani television network * ARY Digital Net ...

as director of current affairs, Head of Strategy & Planning at

TRT World TRT World is a Turkish public broadcaster international news channel which broadcasts in English 24 hours a day, operated by the TRT and based in Taksim Square, Istıklal Avenue, Beyoğlu, Istanbul. It provides worldwide news and current affairs ...

, Senior Analyst of a Show called ''Public Opinion'' on Public News TV and was the

Managing Director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

Indus News Indus News was an English language Pakistani international news channel launched in November 2018. It was part of Aap Media Network and was broadcast on Paksat. The channel was based in Islamabad. History The channel was owned by Pakistani bu ...

, the first international news channel in English from Pakistan.

War Appointment and military service in East Pakistan

In 1970, Major Salik was posted in

Dacca Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

, and became the public relations officer in the ISPR East Pakistan of Eastern Command. Major Salik served as a military media correspondent but soon realized that the separate section of army had begun a successful mutiny and advised for the formation of truth and reconciliation commission to end the bloodshed, though his advises were not heeded. He joined the senior military staff at the GHQ Dacca as a Public Relations Officer, working to release official statements made by the Eastern Command that was led by its Commander East,

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Tikka Khan General Tikka Khan ( ur, ٹکا خان; 10 February 1915 – 28 March 2002) was a Pakistan Army general who was the first chief of army staff from 3 March 1972 until retiring on 1 March 1976. Along with Yahya Khan, he is considered a chief a ...

, and later A.A.K. Niazi. On 20 December 1971, he was taken as war prisoner by the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

when Commander East A.A.K. Niazi signed to concede the defeat and was flown to

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

to be imprisoned in the military barracks along with Niazi and Admiral Sharif . While in prison, he was described by the

's officials as "intelligence, indefatigable, and admirable who was ignored by Niaz and others." About the war prisoners, Major Salik reportedly maintained that the most of the war prisoners were given thought that in mere two-to-three months, they will be repatriated back to Pakistan via trains to Wagha checkpoint and ships

Karachi port The Port of Karachi ( ur, , ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Kar ...

. However, these hoped were dashed when the prisoners had to wait years to be repatriated to Pakistan.

''Witness to Surrender'' and Inter-Services Public Relations

Under the population transfer agreement signed between

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

, Major Salik returned to Pakistan when he was repatriated by

to the

in 1973. Major Salik testified against AAK Niazi during the interviewing process of the War Enquiry Commission. Major Salik continued his military service and remained associate with the

, working on the public relations. During this time, he began working towards writing the memoirs and book that would recounts the events that led to the

Surrender of Pakistan The Pakistani Instrument of Surrender ( bn, পাকিস্তানের আত্মসমর্পণের দলিল, translit=Pākistānēr Atmasamarpaṇēr Dalil) was a written agreement between India, Pakistan, and the Provisional G ...

, which he titled as "''Witness of Surrender''." In 1977, Major Salik was promoted as

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

and published his book despite reservation within the military in 1979. The book has its significance and considered an eyewitness report on the committed genocide committed under the responsibility of

Pakistani military The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...

and the

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

(lit. Freedom Army), since the War Report was never declassified.

Salik also published the

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' In his book, Salik presented a view of soldiers and sailors serving in the army and navy in a crucial period of insurgency and the politics that revolved around the Yahya administration, which eventually led to the independence of Bangladesh. In 1979, Salik joined the army staff at the Army GHQ as public relations officer, and began working as

speechwriter A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also b ...

for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, ( Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial ...

. In 1981, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the army, and during this time, he remained in charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, though he was not appointed minister. In 1982, Salik was permanently appointed as

Press secretary A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage. Dut ...

for President Zia at the Army GHQ. In 1985, he was promoted as

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. ...

, and was appointed

when his appointment was approved by then- vice army chief General K.M. Arif. During his tenure at

, he became widely known in the public circles in country when he acted as the principal source of information on

deployment in response to the

's massive military exercise. On 17 August 1988,

Brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the latter part ...

Salik was among those who died in a mysterious plane crash while he was traveling with President Zia and American ambassador

Arnold Lewis Raphel Arnold Lewis Raphel (March 16, 1943 – August 17, 1988) was the 18th United States Ambassador to Pakistan. Early life and education Raphel was born March 16, 1943 in Troy, New York, into a Jewish family, the son of Harry and Sarah (Rote-Rose ...

; he was buried in his local village with full

military honors A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

Authorship, memoirs, and family

During his lifetime, Brig. Salik authored 9 books on military and politics; of which, six were written in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

. In 1974, he wrote and published his first memoir, "''Hamah Yārān̲ Dozak̲h̲''", that recorded his life spent as war prisoner under the

. His book and novels also included: * (1974) * ''Witness to Surrender'' (, 1977) * (1981) * (1986) * ''Pressure Cooker'' (1984) * ''Wounded pride: the reminiscences of a Pakistani prisoner'' (1984) * ''Emergency'' (1985) * ''Salute: An autobiography'' (1986) * ''State and Politics: A Case Study of Pakistan'' (1987) His novel, , is a contemporary

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

which provides humor while discussing the political events in his country.

References

External links

Former Directors and DG's of ISPR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salik, Brigadier Siddiq 1935 births 1988 deaths Punjabi people University of the Punjab alumni Military personnel from Lahore English–Urdu translators Frontier Force Regiment officers Pakistan Army officers Pakistani war correspondents People of the Bangladesh Liberation War Pakistani prisoners of war Pakistani non-fiction writers Pakistani novelists Pakistani memoirists Pakistani humorists Pakistani human rights activists S English-language writers from Pakistan Urdu-language writers from Pakistan Directors-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations 20th-century translators Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1988 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Pakistan 20th-century memoirists