Siddique Salik (Punjabi, ) (6 September 1935 – 17 August 1988) was an officer in the Pakistan Army, combat artist, humorist, novelist, and a memoirist who served as 8th Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations from 1985 until his death in 1988 in a plane crash in Bahawalpur with the then President. In addition, he also authored two eyewitness books on the Fall of Dhaka which took place in erstwhile East-Pakistan.
Early life
Education and military service
Siddique Salik was born in a Manglia, a village, located in Kharian Tehsil of Gujrat District, Punjab, British India on 6 September 1935. He hailed from a Jat clan of Punjab and his family was traditionally Peasant who worked in a local farm. He was educated in Lahore, having attended the Islamia College in the Civil Lines in Lahore in 1955. and joined the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as a War correspondent.
War Appointment and military service in East Pakistan
In 1970, Major Salik was posted in Dacca, 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. While imprisoned, he was described by the Indian Army's officials as "intelligent, indefatigable, and admirable who was ignored by Niazi and others."
Witness to Surrender and Inter-Services Public Relations
Under the population transfer agreement signed between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, Major Salik returned to Pakistan when he was repatriated by Indian Army to the Pakistan Army in 1973. Major Salik testified against AAK Niazi during the interviewing process of the War Enquiry Commission.
Lieutenant-Colonel Salik also published the Urdu version of the book, title as: ميں نے ڈھاكه ڈوبتے ديكھا (lit. Witness to Surrender) in 1986, which was a translation of his English text.
In 1979, Salik joined the army staff at the Army GHQ as public relations officer, and began working as speechwriter for President Zia-ul-Haq. In 1981, he was promoted to colonel 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 for President Zia at the Army GHQ. In 1985, he was promoted as brigadier, and was appointed Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations when his appointment was approved by then-vice army chief General K.M. Arif.
During his tenure at Inter-Services Public Relations, he became widely known in the public circles in country when he acted as the principal source of information on Pakistani military deployment in response to the Indian Army's massive military exercise.
On 17 August 1988, Brig Salik was among those who died in a mysterious plane crash while he was traveling with President Zia and American ambassador Arnold Lewis Raphel; he was buried in his local village with full military honors. In 1974, he wrote and published his first memoir, "Hamah Yārān̲ Dozak̲h̲", that recorded his life spent as war prisoner under the Indian Army.