ISLAMABAD, April 10: A new cultural forum — to be known as the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Friendship Association — was formed at a meeting of people representing almost all walks of life.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Dr Ahmed Hassan Dani, Prof Khwaja Masood, Col Masood Ahmed Sheikh, Syed Mahmood Ahmed, Irshadullah Khan, Mohammad Naved, Sohail Qureshi, Malik Shaukat and Ziaullah Khan, says a press release.

The ambassador of Azerbaijan, Anyullah Madalti, said on the occasion that historical, social and spiritual bonds existed between his country and Pakistan while Multan Serai in Baku was a reminiscent of the memory of the centuries-old trade ties between the two countries.

He hoped that the new association would play a vital role in bringing the two nations closer to each other.

Former ambassador Khalid Mahmood said Azerbaijan became a victim of foreign aggression after its independence and Pakistan extended all possible help to it on the issue of Nokarno Karabagh.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan, he added, are members of the OIC and the ECO and a prudent strategy was needed to strengthen our bilateral relations.

Former ambassador Khalid Mehmood was elected as president of the association; Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari was proposed to be its patron-in-chief, while the ambassador of Azerbaijan was nominated as its patron.