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Qabil Ashirov

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The Azerbaijan Embassy in Pakistan organised a seminar dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide in the National Library of Pakistan together with the Muslim Institute, one of the leading think tanks in this country, Azernews reports.

The Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Pakistani Senate, Senator Mushahid Husayn Syed, the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Senator Walid Iqbal, ambassadors and diplomats of foreign countries, leading staff of various think tanks and universities in Pakistan, and public and mass media representatives participated in the event.

The event commemorated the memory of the Khojaly Genocide victims with a minute of silence, and a video containing extensive information about the Khojaly Genocide was screened.

Khazar Farhadov, Ambassador of the Azerbaijan Republic to Pakistan, gave a speech at the event and noted that the 32nd anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide, which is one of the greatest tragedies of humanity, was commemorated.

Stating that the Azerbaijani people are continuously subjected to the policy of ethnic cleansing, genocide, and aggression by the Armenian nationalists, the ambassador gave detailed information about the Khojaly genocide. He emphasised that on the night of February 25-26, 1992, the armed forces of Armenia violated all norms of international law, together with the 366th motorised rifle regiment of the former USSR, attacked Khojaly and destroyed this city. As a result of this terrible crime, 613 peaceful Azerbaijanis were killed. He pointed out that 487 people were brutally murdered, and mutilated, 1275 residents were taken hostage and subjected to brutal torture, and the fate of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, is still unknown.

Farhadov emphasized that it was on the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev that the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis made a political and legal assessment of the Khojaly genocide in 1994, and February 26 was declared Khojaly Genocide Day, and the truth about the tragedy was conveyed to the international community.

Touching upon the Justice to Khojaly! international campaign initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the ambassador said that the large-scale activities carried out by the Foundation in this direction around the world and noted that the Khojaly tragedy was recognized as genocide by a number of countries, including Pakistan, and various international organizations.

Speaking about the 44-day Patriotic War, as well as the anti-terrorist operations held on September 19-20, 2023, Farhadov drew attention to the fact that the Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, ended the Armenian occupation and ensured the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.

The ambassador brought to the attention of the guests the visit of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to the city of Khojaly on October 15, 2023, and the raising of the Azerbaijani flag there.

The ambassador talked about the restoration and construction works carried out in the liberated territories, including in Khojaly, and emphasised that the residents of Khojaly would return to their homes within the framework of the Great Return program in 2024.

The Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Pakistan Senate, Mushahid Huseyin Seyed, and the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Walid Iqbal, spoke at the event and said that Armenia committed genocide in the city of Khojaly in February 1992 and strongly condemned the inhumane and terrible crimes. Senators pointed to the adoption of various resolutions related to the Khojaly genocide by the Pakistan Senate and underlined that they showed solidarity with Azerbaijan. Stating that Azerbaijan has freed its lands from occupation, they expressed their admiration for the wise policy of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for the restoration of the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for national interests. At the end of their speech, they expressed their respect for the memory of the Khojaly victims.

The Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Pacacı, head of the Muslim Institute Sahibzadeh Sultan Ahmed Ali, president of the Centre for South Asian and International Studies Major General Khalid Amir Cefri, and expert Prof. Dr. Tughral Yamin gave a speech at the seminar and spoke about the Khojaly genocide and said that they honor the memory of the victims of the genocide. Emphasising that this genocide committed against peaceful people is a crime committed not only against Azerbaijan but against humanity, the speakers called on the international community to condemn Armenia for these heinous acts.

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