ISLAMABAD – Renowned journalist, author, scholar, analyst, former bureaucrat and Pakistan Observer editor-in-chief Zahid Malik was posthumously nominated for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz. the second-highest civilian award, for his unmatchable services for the country.
Mr Malik, who died at the age of 78 in 2016, was also recipient of the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. The award was approved by President Dr Arif Alvi on the eve of the Independence Day (August 14) in Islamabad.
The president approved civil awards for 696 people for their contribution in their respective fields. The investiture ceremony will take place on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2024.
Those decorated with honours include also counter-terrorism officers of the Intelligence Bureau and police, academician, scientists, poets, journalists, actors, and others.
The government of Pakistan has also nominated the Saudi defence minister and assistant defence minister as well as the Chinese vice premier and diplomats for the prestigious awards.
Zahid Malik was born on October 5, 1937. He authored a dozen books, and over 2,000 articles and comments.
He received a Writers Guild of Pakistan First Prize for his book ‘Public Relations’ which was first published in Urdu language in 1971.
‘Mazameen-i-Quran-i-Hakeem,’ an 800-page subject-wise classification of verses of the Holy Quran, is one of the works of Mr Malik. The collection was translated into English, French and German.
Malik, who delivered several lectures in Pakistan and abroad, received a Sitara-i-Imtiaz on Aug 14, 2011, for his contributions towards journalism, the promotion of the ideology of Pakistan and writings about Islam.
He was patron-in-chief of the Nazaria-e-Pakistan Council, chairman of the International Seerat Centre and the Foundation for Coexistence of Civilizations. He was also the founder-chairman of the think tank ‘101 Friends of China.
He was conferred an honorary PhD in Philosophy at the 6th convocation of the Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education in Karachi in 2013.
