By:Naveed Ahmad Khan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Ali Alizada has said that we are a peaceful nation and do not want war but the Armenian armed forces continue to target the civilian population in a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
Armenian deliberate targeting of civilian population in the towns and villages including Mingachevir, Ganja, the largest cities of Azerbaijan, left 31 civilians dead and around 150 wounded. Meanwhile, 567 houses and 72 civilian facilities were destroyed, he added.
Ali Alizada, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan stated, “We don’t need war but demand justice and unconditional immediate withdrawal of troops under UN Security Council resolution and an end of occupation of Armenia”.
He said the Armenian armed forces, in violation of the norms and principles of international law, in particular international humanitarian law, and the 1949 Geneva Conventions were directly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in order to provoke panic among Azerbaijani nation, but Azerbaijani nation was strongly united against Armenian aggression.
Attacking civilians from its own territory, Armenia aims to instigate Azerbaijan to retaliate, and as a result to involve CSTO military block into the conflict, which Armenia is member of, he added.
Ambassador Ali Alizada said that civilian facilities such as houses, hospitals, medical centers, school buildings, kindergartens as well as graveyards have been subjected to indiscriminate shelling of armed forces of Armenia.
The ambassador said that we are fighting in our legitimate territory which had been occupied by the aggressor Armenia, and we demand an unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian army from our occupied territory.
“We want the implementation of United Nations resolutions which clearly say that Armenia is occupying the Azeri land,” he said.
Ambassador Ali Alizada said that Armenia always avoids to resolve the issues through negotiations and makes endeavors to sabotage any attempt to it.
“Armenia is not interested to resolve the conflict and avoiding negotiations,” he lamented.
Expressing gratitude to Pakistan for its unflinching support to Azerbaijan, the ambassador also mentioned the Armenian propaganda that Pakistani army is fighting alongside Azerbaijani forces against Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ambassador termed it a baseless propaganda and an attempt of Armenia to divert the attention from its aggression and debacle in the battle.
Earlier apprising the participants on the recent situation, the Defence Attaché of Azerbaijan Armed Forces to Pakistan Colonel Mehman Novruzov told that Armenia is using Kurdish fighters against Azerbaijan.
However, he added that Azerbaijan has seized very important heights and recaptured its many areas previously occupied by Armenia.
The Defence Attaché said that Azerbaijan has recovered 25 occupied villages from Armenia while more than 250 Armenian soldiers including officers have surrendered.
Colonel Mehman Novruzov further said that that a baseless propaganda is being hatched that Pakistan and Turkey are physically involved in the Azerbaijan-Armenia war. He said that both these Countries are our brothers and supporting us diplomatically and morally.
“Thanks to Pakistan, Turkey for their unequivocal support, and to other countries, which took the principle position, and support Azerbaijan’s just cause. Karabakh is Azerbaijan,” he added. Earlier, Col Mehman Novruzov, said that in order to ensure safety and security of civilian population, Azerbaijan Army had launched counter offensive peace enforcement operation against Armenian provocation.
Prior to him, the Second Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) of the Embassy of Azerbaijan Mr. Samir Guliyev delivered the introductory remarks.