IT is with utmost sadness and sense of personal loss of an old friend and former colleague of PIA that I learnt of Asad Malik, being victim of a road accident near his hometown Sheikhupura.
My mind also went back to 1962, when I got a phone call from PIA head office, Karachi, by former Indian Olympic player and respected Mir Muhammad Husain, to help in recruiting promising players from Sheikhupura namely Asad Malik and Saeed Anwer his cousin.
I immediately contacted my very dear old friend Rafi Naseem in Sheikhupura, in this regard and he said ‘Come over here & I shall do the needful’. But when I reached Sheikhupura and with Rafi Naseem approached the father of Asad Malik, he was little reluctant as already they had an offer for both to join police as ASI and join their team. It took lot of convincing for me and Rafi to persuade them what sort career and future they would have in PIA, headed by Nur Khan and under a noted former Olympian Muhammad Hussain.
I returned to Lahore not sure of their real intent. But I was delighted next day when father of Asad Malik, showed up in my office on the Mall, with both Asad and Saeed Anwer ,saying ‘I am handing over the two in your care and I hope you will look after them ‘When I informed Mir Saheb in Karachi, he was delighted and so was Nur Khan ,who wanted both PIA and Pakistan Hockey to emerge on top.
So did it happen both Asad Malik and Saeed Anwer, who had died earlier lived up to their potential and became worthy players to make Pakistan a World Champion. Asad Malik and Saeed Anwer both also retired from airline as executives and also served Pakistan Hockey top heirarchy outstandingly after their retirement. I remained in touch with both and notably with Asad who had opened a store on The Mall Road and asked me to visit him there. But unfortunately I was unable to do that and usually came across with Asad in PHF office or on The Mall, occasionally. Here is offering my deep condolence to his family for this loss of a worthy and heroic son of Pakistan.
