By Hilal Ahmad
Experts at the Summit-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group in Baku, Azerbaijan discussed whether Karabakh model was the only way to liberate Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from foreign occupation.
Azerbaijan is a symbol of resilience against foreign aggression and it has succeeded in liberating the Karabakh region under the valiant leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. During the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, Azerbaijan succeeded in liberating its territories. The war lasted over a month and resulted in Azerbaijan’s victory against the Armenia.
Under the visionary leadership of incumbent President Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijan has achieved tremendous success at the national and international levels. The Republic of Azerbaijan became member of the NAM on May 26, 2011 with the unanimous support of the member states. NAM was established in 1961 and is the largest group of states outside the United Nations.
NAM Summit in Baku on March 02, 2023 provided an important platform for member states to come together and discuss the world’s challenges in the post-pandemic era. During the Summit, President Iham Aliyev highlighted NAM’s contributions to the pandemic response, specifically focusing on developing a database for the pandemic needs of NAM member states.
The meeting was attended by almost 70 heads of states and government representatives including important international organizations. The event was widely covered by local and international media. Journalists belonging to different countries and regions of the world physically covered the Baku moot. After the conclusion of NAM summit, a group of foreign journalists visited the liberated areas of Karabakh.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan have maintained close relations after forming diplomatic relations. Both the countries have closely worked in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence and Pakistan was the second country to recognize its liberation.
Moreover, Pakistan had always supported Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia at all international forums. Pakistan is the only country in the world which does not recognize Armenia. In April 1993, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council led by Pakistan was held which unanimously adopted a resolution concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
At the same time, Azerbaijan supports Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir dispute. Azerbaijan had always urged on the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. As per stance of the Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guided by its commitments undertaken upon joining the UN, Azerbaijan always supports and stands for implementation of norms and principles of international law and UN Security Council resolutions in settlement of conflicts and maintenance of international peace and security.
This is the firm and principled position of Azerbaijan. Keeping in view this stance, Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council. It is worth to mention that Azerbaijan is also the member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.
On the invitation of Azeri government, a group of Journalists from across the globe including Pakistan attended the NAM summit in Baku and other places in the first week of March. The media representatives of many countries visited Azerbaijan for the coverage of Summit-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baku and Karabakh region from 02 March to 05 March 2023.
Azerbaijan is presently carrying out the reconstruction process on large scale in the war-torn areas of Nagorno-Karabakh region. The foreign media persons visited different areas which were liberated by Azerbaijan in 2020 from the occupation of Armenia. The Azeri government is also engaged in rehabilitation process in Aghdam, Fazuli Shusha and other liberated areas.
During their visit to Aghdam, journalists also witnessed the ongoing development process in the liberated areas and inspected the civic facilities, religious, cultural and historical monuments destroyed during the occupation, including the Imaret complex, the Alley of Martyrs and the Drama Theater. The delegation of journalists later left for Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan and stayed there for night.
Foreign journalists, who arrived in Azerbaijan to cover the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement’s Contact Group in response to COVID-19, on March 04, visited the places hit by missiles fired by Armenians in Ganja city. Media delegation visited Victory Park in Ganja.
They were briefed by the local authorities that the Armenian Armed Forces deliberately fired on the Azerbaijani civilians and settlements by using heavy artillery. As a result, 26 people were killed in Ganja, including children, women and the elderly people while as 175 people were injured besides many civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged. Later the journalists departed to Fuzuli city.
The author is a journalist from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir but now based in Islamabad. He could be reached at [email protected]
