Apart from being a bright, young journalist, Tariq Malik was also a son and a sibling who made his family proud – the same family that now sits deprived of their prized asset.
Malik was brutally murdered by armed robbers on Sunday as he and his friend Imran were walking towards his house in Defence, Lahore.
Held at gun-point by two robbers, Malik and Imran were asked to hand over their cell phones and cash. As Malik resisted and broke into a scuffle with one of the robbers, the accomplice shot him in the abdomen and stabbed him before they fled the scene scot-free.
Despite being rushed to the hospital by Imran, Malik’s injuries proved fatal and he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Hours before this brutal encounter, Malik had sent a message to the DawnNews head-office in Karachi to confirm that he will be on duty for Monday. It was previously thought that he would take a few days off due to a car accident while on duty a few days earlier. The injury hampered his movements severely and made it difficult for him to stand, but Malik ensured that his work did not suffer despite the excruciating pain it put him through.
Born in 1979, Tariq Javed Malik was enthusiastic and ambitious and it seemed as if nothing could dampen his spirit.
Hailing from a village in rural Punjab, Malik held a Masters degree in English language and literature and was an International Relations graduate from the Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.
His short-lived illustrious career included reporting live during the long march, the imposition of emergency rule, and through countless sessions of the Punjab Assembly.
Malik also made a name for himself through several exclusive reports on issues including fake law colleges in the Punjab, child abuse, the plight of nurses, old people’s homes, plagiarism, and rape among many others.
Famous for being one of those reporters who never backed down, Malik was wholly dedicated and active member of the DawnNews team that is still trying to come to terms with this tragic loss.
Malik was known to extract the tiniest of details in every assignment that he worked on and would always present a thorough report.
While Malik’s murder is being investigated by the police, no arrests have been made so far as they are still matching the initial information with existing records of similar cases.
Some experts in the police department believe that the manner, in which the bullets were fired at Malik, is not in tandem with a conventional snatch-and-run incident.
His grieving family and colleagues demand the culprits be brought to justice.
Let’s observe a moment of silence in remembrance of this dedicated journalist, son and brother.
Malik’s soyem will be held at 10 am on Wednesday, March 25, at his residence in Layyah.
Dawn (Pakistan)
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