Memory of 20-January Tragedy victims commemorated in Pakistan

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Pakistan organised a seminar called "January 20: Heroic Chronicle of Azerbaijan's History" dedicated to the commemoration day of January 20 martyrs at the Azerbaijani Language and Culture Centre operating at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Pakistan, Azernews reports.

NUML teacher-student staff, representatives of think tanks in this country, as well as embassy employees, attended the seminar.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Khazar Farhadov noted that this year marks the 34th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy and expressed his deep respect for the memory of the heroic martyrs who died for the independence of Azerbaijan, as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. He also emphasised that January 20 was engraved in Azerbaijani history as the peak of the freedom struggle of Azerbaijanis for independence.

Khazar Farhadov underscored that the Azerbaijani people held mass protests in response to the discriminatory policy of the USSR leadership, the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from their historical lands in the territory of present-day Armenia, and Armenia's groundless territorial claims against the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. He drew attention to the fact that the army committed an unprecedented massacre against the civilian population by grossly violating international law and the Constitution.

The ambassador said that National Leader Heydar Aliyev came to the Permanent Representation of Azerbaijan in Moscow on January 21, 1990, and expressed solidarity with the Azerbaijani people. He strongly condemned this crime and demanded a political and legal evaluation of the massacre and punishment of the perpetrators. It was at the request of the people that, after the coming to power of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, on his direct initiative, the January 20 tragedy was given a political and legal assessment at the state level.

The Ambassador stressed that, under the leadership of the Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani army liberated Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation and restored the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The diplomat said that today the souls of the Azerbaijani heroic martyrs who gave their lives for the independence of the country, as well as its sovereignty and territorial integrity, are resting in peace.

Speaking at the seminar, Professor Jamil Asghar Jami, Dean of the Foreign Languages Faculty of NUML, and Muhammad Shakil Ahmed, Executive Director of Pakistan's Global Strategic Institute for Sustainable Development, spoke about the events of January 20, calling the people of Azerbaijan "a great nation with a great past" and saying that this event is a symbol of the freedom struggle of the Azerbaijani people.

Besides, speaking about the victory in the Patriotic War of Azerbaijan, the speakers expressed their respect for the memory of the martyrs who died for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.