By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The Azerbaijan Embassy in Islamabad celebrated the ‘Victory Day Azerbaijan’, marking the liberation of Azeri territories from illegal Armenian occupation.
Addressing the victory day ceremony in Islamabad, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khazar Farhadov said November 8 marks victory day in the Republic of Azerbaijan every year. He said Armenia kept Azerbaijani territories under illegal occupation for almost three decades despite the decisions and resolutions of the leading international institutions. Armenia ignored all these decisions and resolutions and continued to illegally occupy almost 20 percent of our territory, he added.
During the occupation, more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs. “Our people became the subject of ethnic cleansing. The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from our territories, but these resolutions were never implemented.”
The ambassador further stated that two years ago, in 2020, under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces President Ilham Aliyev, Azeri army liberated Azerbaijan’s territories from Armenian occupation, and Armenia was forced to sign an act of capitulation, thus acknowledging Azerbaijan’s historic victory. After the liberation, he said, Azerbaijan started large-scale restoration and reconstruction works in the liberated areas. Azerbaijan also ensured its territorial integrity, and restored the fundamental rights of nearly one million displaced Azerbaijanis, he added.
In 2021 and 2022, the Azerbaijani Government allocated nearly $3 billion to large-scale reconstruction and restoration activities in the liberated lands. “I would like to inform you that two international airports, namely Fuzuli and Zangilan International Airports, were built quickly. We restore our lands”, he added.
The ambassador said, “I must also mention Pakistan’s support. Brotherly Pakistan, from the first day of the former Karabakh conflict, as well as during the Patriotic War in 2020, morally and politically supported the just position of Azerbaijan, and the Government and people of Azerbaijan have highly appreciated it.”
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, speaking on occasion, said, “The Armenian occupation in Azerbaijan was always considered a very similar situation as we have in Kashmir.”
He further stated that the relationship of Pakistan with Azerbaijan was historical. “We have supported our brothers in Azerbaijan in their struggle on the political front or any other front available to us to support our brothers.”
The minister also urged to enhance people-to-people exchanges and to work on establishing connectivity to Central Asian countries.
