(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) Details added (first published: 12:42)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 23. The
Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia is a crime not only against
Azerbaijan but also against humanity, said federal Minister for
States and Frontier Regions of Pakistan, Muhammad Talha Mahmud,
trend reports
referring to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Pakistan.
He made the remark at an event on the topic 'Khojaly
Genocide: A Bloody Crime Against Humanity' dedicated to the 31st
anniversary of the Khojaly genocide. The event was organized
jointly by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Pakistan and Pakistan's
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology
(SZABIST), one of the leading higher educational institutions in
the country.
The event was attended by the Federal Minister for
States and Frontier Regions of Pakistan, Muhammad Talha Mahmud as
an honorary guest as well as the authorities of the Shaheed
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, teaching
staff and students, employees of the embassy, representatives of
various think-tanks and the public of Pakistan.
First, the national anthems of both countries were
performed, and the memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide
was honored with a minute of silence.
Then, a video that provided detailed information about
the Khojaly genocide was demonstrated.
Speaking at the event, Azerbaijani Ambassador to
Pakistan Khazar Farhadov noted that the Khojaly genocide went down
in history as one of the most terrifying tragedies of the 20th
century. He informed the guests about the tragedy, stating that as
a result of Armenia's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide
against Azerbaijanis throughout history, hundreds of thousands of
civilians have been killed and expelled from their native
lands.
Farhadov noted that it is thanks to the initiative of
the National Leader Heydar Aliyev that Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis
(Parliament) gave a political and legal assessment to the Khojaly
genocide, declared February 26 as 'Khojaly Genocide Day', and
brought this genocide to the attention of the international
community.
Referring to the international campaign 'Justice For
Khojaly!', initiated by the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, the ambassador spoke about the
large-scale activities carried out by the Foundation in this
direction around the world and noted that the Khojaly tragedy has
been recognized by a number of states (including Pakistan) and
various international organizations, as genocide.
The ambassador also spoke about the 44-day Second
Karabakh War, noting that the Azerbaijani Army, under the
leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, ended the 30-year
occupation in 2020 and restored the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan.
Stressing that the National Assembly and the Senate of
Pakistan adopted resolutions condemning the Khojaly genocide,
Farhadov expressed gratitude for the political and moral support
provided to Azerbaijan by the government and parliament of this
country, both during the Karabakh conflict and during the Second
Karabakh War.
Furthermore, Federal Minister for States and Frontier
Regions of Pakistan, Muhammad Talha Mahmud, noted that the Khojaly
genocide committed by Armenia is a crime not only against
Azerbaijan but also against humanity. He also said that Pakistan
does not recognize Armenia as a state due to its aggressive policy
against Azerbaijan.
He went on to say that Azerbaijan liberated its lands
from the occupation in 2020, and that Pakistan was, and would
continue to be, a political and moral supporter of fraternal
Azerbaijan. In conclusion, the minister noted that he honors the
memory of the victims of Khojaly and stands in solidarity with the
Azerbaijani people.
Speaking at the event, the head of the SZABIST
Islamabad campus, Khusro Pervaiz Khan, and the head of this
university's Faculty of Social Sciences and Diplomatic Studies,
Taraq Waheed, emphasized that Armenia's Khojaly genocide is one of
the bloodiest chapters in human history. They noted with regret the
brutal murder of innocent people and called on the international
community to condemn Armenia for these heinous acts.