ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Azerbaijan on Wednesday commemorated the “Remembrance Day” with Ambassador Khazar Farhadov calling for global harmony and peaceful coexistence with neighbours.

It was an opportunity to show respect for soldiers and officers and all the martyrs who fought heroically in the patriotic war and waved the Azerbaijan flag in the liberated lands from Armenia.

The event also coincided with the presentation of a book titled “The History of the Patriotic War – Personality Factor”.

Ambassador Farhadov said, “This book is dedicated to one of the most glorious pages in the history of Azerbaijan — the 44-day Patriotic War, commencing on September 27, 2020, and ending with the liberation of our occupied lands and the historical triumph of Azerbaijan.”

The ambassador informed the guests, including senators Talha Mahmood and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, and various ambassadors, that during the war they never targeted civilians and “always targeted legitimate military installations.”

“We ourselves suffered when genocide was carried out against us during this first Karabagh war. We were all aware of the genocide, which I would like to underline that Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognise it, especially for the first time in the Senate and opening way to the world community to know about it,” he said.

He mentioned that Pakistan, from the first day of the former Karabagh conflict as well as during the Patriotic War in 2020 and during the local anti-terror measures, morally and politically supported the just position of Azerbaijan, and it had been highly appreciated by the government and people of Azerbaijan.

He lamented that the western media had started a smear campaign, declaring that Armenians were safe, just like other minorities living in Azerbaijan.

According to the ambassador, the book articulated the story of the First Karabakh War, the reasons for its defeat, actions taken after National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s rise to power towards settling the “former” Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and national army development.

The book also highlights key strategy directions employed by President of Azerbaijan and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and reviewed the chronicle of victory and diplomacy during the Second Karabakh War.

Senator Talha Mahmood, in his remarks, said the book was a testimony to the resilience and strength of the people of Azerbaijan, who shaped the course of the war.

Senator Mushahid Hussain appreciated President Aliyev for his strategic clarity and decisive leadership, which he demonstrated as a supreme commander in the face of provocations from Armenia.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2023