Spokesman Report
Islamabad: The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Pakistan organized a seminar titled “January 20 – Heroic Chronicle of the History of Azerbaijan” dedicated to the commemoration day of January 20 martyrs. The event brought together the teaching staff of Pakistan National University of Modern Languages (NUML), representatives of local think tanks, and embassy personnel.
Ambassador Khazar Farhadov, addressing the gathering, highlighted that this year marks the 34th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy. He expressed deep respect for the memory of the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Ambassador Farhadov underscored that the event, known as Bloody January, is not only a tragedy but also represents the pinnacle of the Azerbaijani people’s struggle for freedom and independence.
Reflecting on the January 20 tragedy, Khazar Farhadov emphasized the mass protests by the Azerbaijani people in response to the USSR leadership’s discriminatory policies, the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from their historical lands in Armenia, and groundless territorial claims against the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. He described the national liberation movement initiated by the Azerbaijani people as a response to these challenges, highlighting the Soviet army’s unprecedented massacre against the civilian population.
Ambassador Farhadov recounted the strong condemnation of the crime by National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 1990 and his demand for a political and legal evaluation of the massacre. It was under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev that the January 20 tragedy received a political and legal assessment at the state level. The ambassador further emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev, continuing this legacy, led the Azerbaijani Army to free lands from Armenian occupation, restoring sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Professor Jamil Asghar Jami, Dean of the Foreign Languages Faculty at NUML, and Mohammad Shakil Ahmed, Executive Director of Pakistan’s Global Strategic Institute for Sustainable Development, spoke at the seminar, recognizing the Azerbaijani people as “a great nation with a great past.” They highlighted the January 20 event as a symbol of the freedom struggle of the Azerbaijani people and expressed respect for the martyrs who sacrificed for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The speakers also acknowledged Azerbaijan’s recent Victory in the Patriotic War, commending the spirit of the martyrs who contributed to the nation’s achievements.