Tajammul Hussain Malik

Major General Tajammul Hussain Malik (born June 13, 1924 - September 2001) was a senior and former 2-star rank general officer in the Pakistan army and the former General Officer Commanding of the 23rd Division of Pakistan Army, retiring with the rank of Major-General. He was the commanding officer of Pakistani forces at the Battle of Hilli during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, and headed a failed coup attempt against the regime of Zia-ul-Haq in 1980 which resulted in a court-martial held by Judge Advocate General Branch of Pakistan Defence Forces headed by General Zia-ul-Haq.

Biography
Tajammul Hussain Malik, from the Awan tribe, was born on June 13, 1924 in the Chakwal District in the Punjab province and became a career officer in the British Indian Army, later joining the army of the new state of Pakistan in 1947. He had participated in Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 and the 1965 War. In 1971, he was promoted as Brigadier and was appointed commanding officer of the 205 Infantry Brigade of the Pakistan Army in 1971, deployed at Hilli in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Malik's unit continued fighting even after Pakistani forces formally surrendered to Indian forces in Dhaka. He was the only red tape Pakistani officer who did not surrender and after his subsequent capture, Malik and his unit became prisoners of war for over a year. He became a well known war hero in West Pakistan.

Coup attempt
After his release and repatriation to Pakistan, Malik was the only brigadier-general out of 32 who had fought the war in East Pakistan to be promoted to major general rank. He held the command of 23 Division in Jehlum as a major general. However, he was retired by a military tribunal of the Judge Advocate General Branch headed by army chief General Zia-ul-Haq over accusations of attempting to overthrow the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In 1980, Malik organised a coup attempt against the military regime of Zia-ul-Haq, with other army officers, including his son Naved and his nephew. The plan was to assassinate Zia during the Pakistan Day parade on March 23, 1980. However, the plot was exposed and Malik, his son and the conspirators were arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.Though offered chances of exile,General Malik and his son never exiled and preferred their homeland.

Later life
Tajammul Hussain Malik was released from prison in 1988, following the death of Zia-ul-Haq in a plane crash under mysterious circumstances. He published his autobiography, The Story Of My Struggle, in 1991. He joined the field of politics, contested MNA, MPA elections. He formed his own Islamic political party in 1977. His two children later completed his legacy, Naveed Tajammal and Waseem Pasha Tajammal,who became politicians,and after retiring from politics began an immensely successful career of business in the Energy and Defense sector.

General Tajammal is blessed with 2 sons ; Malik Naveed Tajammul and Malik Pasha Tajammul.

Death
General Malik died on September 2001 in the holy month of Ramadan at the time when he was offering his Asr Prayers. He was a diabetic and kept a religious fast despite his illness. His place of burial is on the top of the highest mountain in Chakwal with his wife who later died in 2007. His grave is surrounded by a 25 ft tomb with 5 domes and a water drinking area.