Akhtar Hussain Malik

Lieutenant General Akhtar Hussain Malik (died 22 August 1969) was a distinguished General, a war hero of Pakistan Army in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 and a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Early years

Malik was born to an old farming Ahmadi Muslim family in a small village named Pindori, located in Punjab. Despite the unavailability of schools in his village, he was sent to a school miles away where he and his friends had to walk for hours every day. After graduating from college, he enlisted as a sepoy in the army. But his personal qualities and education were soon noticed and he was sent to the officers' training school in Dera Doon. Although this was a time when Muslims in India were discriminated against, Malik's brilliance was recognized throughout his service in the British Army.

He was said to be a man of towering presence and was known for his acuteness of mind and boldness of spirit. He was loved and admired by his subordinates, but was far too outspoken to be of any comfort to most of his superiors. His professional excellence, however, was acknowledged both in military and civilian circles.

1965 war

As GOC 12th Division, he was the overall commander for Operation Grand Slam in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. For his successful handling of the initial phase of the operation, he was awarded the Hilal-i-Jurat, the second highest gallantry award of the Pakistan Army. Controversially, the command was handed over to General Yahya Khan in mid operation,...
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