Azerbaijan’s Victory Is a Beacon of Hope for Kashmir and Gaza: PM Shehbaz Sharif

Baku: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reiterated that while Pakistan, like its Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers, seeks peace, no one would ever be allowed to challenge the country’s sovereignty or undermine its territorial integrity.

Addressing Azerbaijan’s Victory Day parade in Baku, the Prime Minister said Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan were “three brothers whose hearts beat together,” and who stood shoulder to shoulder celebrating the momentous occasion.

“What a proud and scintillating sight it is to witness our valiant armed forces marching beside their Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers, as the skies come alive with the roar of the JF-17 Thunder jets — a resounding symbol of our enduring friendship that has grown from strength to strength,” the Prime Minister remarked.

He recalled that earlier this year, Azerbaijani and Turkish contingents had proudly marched alongside the Pakistani Armed Forces in Islamabad to commemorate Pakistan’s historic victory in the four-day war with India.

Quoting national poet Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the Prime Minister said freedom was not won by force alone but by unwavering belief and commitment that gives life to heroic struggles.

Paying tribute to Azerbaijan’s “courageous sons” and their leader President Ilham Aliyev, Shehbaz Sharif said that five years ago, Azerbaijan’s armed forces liberated their ancestral lands in Karabakh — a victory that stood as a vindication of justice and a beacon of hope for nations striving for sovereignty and self-determination, including the people of Gaza and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He added that during Pakistan’s four-day conflict with India earlier this year, the leadership and people of Azerbaijan and Türkiye stood firmly with Pakistan. “Under the fearless command of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Armed Forces delivered a precise and effective military response that stunned the enemy into disbelief,” he noted, lauding the Pakistan Air Force for shooting down seven enemy aircraft.

Expressing admiration for the post-war reconstruction in Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister said the speed of rebuilding in Shusha, Khankendi, Fuzuli, and Lachin was phenomenal. He also praised President Aliyev’s dedication to the welfare of his people and lauded Türkiye’s remarkable development under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visionary leadership.

“True victory lies not on the battlefield alone but in building bridges of peace and understanding,” Shehbaz said, appreciating President Aliyev’s diplomatic efforts for peace and development.

The Prime Minister also commended former U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s “bold and decisive leadership” in mediating peace efforts that helped restore calm between Pakistan and India.

Highlighting regional cooperation, he thanked President Erdogan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for facilitating peace efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling it “a reflection of strong, time-tested fraternal ties among our nations.”

He prayed for the martyrs of Azerbaijan and for continued unity, progress, and prosperity among the three brotherly countries.

Earlier, President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude to Pakistan and Türkiye for their solidarity during Azerbaijan’s 44-day war with Armenia. He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan for their support, emphasizing that the joint participation of their troops in the parade symbolized unity and friendship among the three nations.

President Erdogan congratulated the government and people of Azerbaijan on their historic victory, saying the triumph marked not an end but the beginning of enduring peace and stability in the region. He also called for greater land connectivity to enhance regional trade and economic growth.

Troops from Pakistan and Türkiye participated alongside Azerbaijani forces in the Victory Day parade, which marks Azerbaijan’s triumph in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, a conflict that ended nearly three decades of Armenian occupation of Azeri territories.