Ghulam Muhammad Malik
| Ghulam Muhammad Malik | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | General G. M. malik |
| Born | Khushab |
| Allegiance |
 Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1958–1995 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | X Corps |
| Commands held |
12th Infantry Division Pakistan Military Academy X Corps DG Military Intelligence (DGMI) |
| Battles/wars |
Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 |
| Other work | Run a Charity NGO in Uk |
Ghulam Muhammad Malik (also called G.M. Malik) is former commander of the X Corps, Rawalpindi of the Pakistan Army. X Corps was responsible to defend the entire Line of Control between Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the Indian-administered Kashmir. He retired from the army in 1995, and has since headed a charity to provide primary health care facilities to the poor and needy of Pakistan.
Early life
Malik belongs to the Awan tribe. He is from Khushab which is a prime recruiting area for Pakistan's army.
Army
He had a distinguished military career. As a cadet in PMA, he was selected to be sent to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he was declared the best cadet and won the "Overseas Sword".
Malik is a graduate of PAF Public School Sargodha where he was from 1st Entry (1953–1957).
He joined Pakistan Army in the late 1950s, and became a Lieutenant General. He served as commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy from 1987-1989. He commanded the elite Special Service Group. In the 1990s, he was given command of the X Corps.
Bhutto coup attempt
A pall of suspicion was cast on his career when the coup against Benazir Bhutto government was foiled in September 1995. Malik was suspected. He was ultimately not charged due to insufficient evidence as "no direct link had been established between him and the coup plotters".[1] He would likely have been a victim of the attack on the Corps Commanders Conference had the coup been successful.
Islam
Malik was known for his "orthodox religious piety" and was a supporter of the controversial religious order Tablighi Jamaat, a 'non-political' Islamic party which "essentially enjoins goodness in society". He was known to "inspire and inculcate religious zeal amongst his junior officers and Jawans".
Rumours spread that Malik was an associate of Sufi Iqbal of the Tablighi Jamaat, who was known to inspire Jihadi zeal, despite its non-political stand. However, no connection between Sufi Iqbal and was established.
During his tenure Hafiz Saeed, chief of the Islamist terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief was invited to Headquarters X Corps to address officers on "character building". Saeed's controversial utterances and that of the other speaker, Major General Zaheerul Islam Abbasi, compelled many officers to protest loudly. After this incident, the then COAS Gen. Kakar ordered Malik to stop such sessions. Abbasi was later implicated in a coup attempt. After the investigations, 36 Army officers headed by Abbasi and 20 civilians were arrested and tried.[2]
Retirement
Malik retired in October 1995 and was succeeded by then DG Military Intelligence (DGMI) Maj Gen Ali Kuli Khan Khattak.
Charitable Activities / Al-Mustafa Trust
After his retirement Malik established Al-Mustafa Trust in January 1999, which provides primary health care services to the poor, operating 11 medical centres across Pakistan, mainly in rural areas. He serves as the Chairman. It is based in Rawalpindi with a branch office in London (not to be confused with a similar named organisation which is headquartered in Hounslow, UK).
References
- ↑ "FOCUS ON PAKISTAN'S TABLIGHI JAMAAT" Monthly Herald, November 1995
- ↑ Praveen Swami. "A Circle of Hate" Frontline by The Hindu, October 11–24, 2003
