[2] Akhtar Hussain Malik was born in the small village of Pindori, Attock District, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan).

Due to the scarcity of good educational institutions in the vicinity of his village at the time, his father made an effort to send him to a school miles away, because of which he and his friends would have to walk for hours every day.

Controversially, the command was unilaterally handed over to then Major General Yahya Khan mid-operation, resulting in extensive delays, which were uncalled for, and eventual failure of the operation.

"[10] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the ninth Prime Minister and fourth President had also commented on Ayub and Yahya's intervention in the war, saying: "Had General Akhtar Malik not been stopped in the Chamb-Jaurian Sector, the Indian forces in Kashmir would have suffered serious reverses, but Ayub Khan wanted to make his favorite, General Yahya Khan, a hero.

"[11]After the war, Malik was posted to an advisory commanding position for CENTO in Ankara, Turkey, where he succumbed to injuries sustained in a road accident on 22 August 1969.