Pakistan, Turkiye and Azerbaijan ‘Brothers in Arms’ says Prime Minister Shehbaz in Baku

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with its ‘Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers’, bound by enduring bonds of faith, friendship and common struggle.

Addressing Azerbaijan’s Victory Day parade in Baku on Saturday, the prime minister said: “Pakistan is committed to peace and no country will be allowed to challenge our sovereignty or undermine our territorial integrity.”

Shehbaz said it was a proud sight to see Pakistani troops marching alongside Azerbaijani and Turkish contingents as JF-17 Thunder jets roared overhead — a symbol, he noted, of a friendship that had grown from strength to strength over the years.

He recalled how Azerbaijani and Turkish soldiers had marched alongside Pakistan’s armed forces in Islamabad on August 14 this year during the celebration of Maarka-e-Haq, marking Pakistan’s victory in a four-day conflict with India.

The prime minister praised the ‘brave sons’ of Azerbaijan who, under the ‘bold and visionary leadership’ of President Ilham Aliyev, liberated their ancestral land of Karabakh five years ago.

“Throughout this struggle for liberation, Pakistan stood like a rock with its brother Azerbaijan,” he said, calling the victory “a beacon of hope” for all nations seeking self-determination — including the people of Gaza and Indian-illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to this year’s brief conflict with India, Shehbaz said Pakistan’s armed forces, under the command of Field Marshal Asim Munir, delivered a bloody nose to our enemy with a precise and highly effective military strike. He said the Pakistan Air Force, led by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Baber Sidhu, shot down seven enemy aircraft with lightning speed to defend the motherland.

The prime minister praised Azerbaijan’s post-war reconstruction efforts, describing the reconstruction of Shusha, Khankendi, Fuzuli and Lachin as absolutely phenomenal. He also praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visionary leadership in transforming Turkiye into a modern, strategic and economic power.

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

He also expressed appreciation for US President Donald Trump’s ‘bold and decisive leadership’ in brokering a ceasefire between Pakistan and India, which he said ‘avoided a major war and saved millions of people’.

Shehbaz thanked President Erdogan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for their roles in facilitating peace efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan, describing their cooperation as a reflection of strong and proven brotherly ties.

The prime minister prayed for the martyrs of Azerbaijan and extended Pakistan’s felicitations on the fifth anniversary of the country’s ‘glorious victory’ in the 44-day patriotic war.

In his remarks, President Ilham Aliyev thanked Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan for their solidarity during the conflict with Armenia. He also expressed gratitude to Turkiye for its steadfast support, saying that military contingents’ joint participation in the parade symbolized ‘unity, brotherhood and friendship’.

President Erdogan congratulated Azerbaijan on its Victory Day, saying the triumph marked ‘not an end but the beginning of lasting peace in the region’. He also emphasized the importance of improved regional connectivity to promote trade and prosperity.

Azerbaijan celebrates Victory Day on November 8 every year to celebrate its success in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, which ended nearly three decades of Armenian occupation.