Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is currently on an official tour of four countries. After completing visits to Türkiye and Iran, he arrived in Lachin, Azerbaijan, on the occasion of Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, where he was warmly received.
He was accompanied by Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff; Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar; Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar; and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also participated in the Independence Day ceremony held in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, during the event, described the participation of high-level leaders from Pakistan and Türkiye as a symbol of the strong friendship among the three nations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also attended the ceremony held in Lachin.
In his address, President Aliyev congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on their Independence Day and said the presence of Pakistani and Turkish leaders was a matter of pride. He expressed commitment to enhancing strategic cooperation among the three nations and recalled that Azerbaijan became the first independent Muslim country 107 years ago, but lost its freedom after the formation of the Soviet Union.
He noted that Azerbaijan regained its independence in 1991 but continued to face aggression from Armenia, which committed acts of genocide against the Azerbaijani people in its attempts to occupy the territory. Eventually, on November 10, 2022, Nagorno-Karabakh was liberated, and today’s ceremony was held in this liberated region.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the ceremony, stated that Türkiye, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan are three countries but one nation, and that the liberation of Karabakh has further strengthened Azerbaijan. He emphasized that Türkiye has always stood by Azerbaijan and that the three countries share common cultural and religious values.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his speech, said Pakistan offered moral and diplomatic support to Azerbaijan during its war and congratulated the country on the liberation of Karabakh. He remarked that the day was significant not only for Azerbaijan’s Independence Day but also for Pakistan’s “Youm-e-Takbeer” (Day of Greatness).
Speaking on recent tensions with India, he said, “The enemy was five times larger, but under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan responded effectively and shot down six Indian fighter jets.” He added that India used the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to level baseless accusations against Pakistan without any evidence and rejected Pakistan’s offer for a joint investigation.
The Prime Minister thanked Türkiye and Azerbaijan for their full support during the recent tensions, saying that both brotherly nations stood with Pakistan without hesitation. He highlighted the mutual respect among the peoples of Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan, and stated that their unified stance on issues like Kashmir, Karabakh, and Cyprus demonstrates the strength of their relationship.
A trilateral summit between Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Pakistan was also held in Lachin, with participation from top officials of all three countries. Addressing the summit, President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan would invest $2 billion in Pakistan. He reaffirmed his country’s longstanding support for the sovereignty and security of both Pakistan and Türkiye.
President Aliyev added that Azerbaijan currently has $20 billion invested in Türkiye and now plans to expand its economic footprint in Pakistan as well. He noted that this was the second joint summit of the three nations, with the first having taken place in July, and expressed confidence that this cooperation would continue in the future.
He further stated that Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan believe in the principles of regional integrity, sovereignty, and justice and that Azerbaijan has consistently supported these principles for both of its partner nations.
In his address at the summit, President Erdoğan welcomed the ceasefire between Pakistan and India amid recent tensions and praised the constructive role played by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistani authorities. He reaffirmed that the relationships among Türkiye, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan are built on strong and lasting foundations.
