Pakistan supports Azerbaijan in Karabakh issue

Pakistan also supports Azerbaijan in all issues, including Karabakh problem, said head of the Committee for External Ties under the Pakistani Senate Mushahid Huseyn Said at the meeting with members of the inter-parliamentary group of Azerbaijan-Pakistan friendship in Baku, according to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

"The Pakistani society considers Azerbaijan's position on the Karabakh problem to be fair. Thus, our delegation is composed of senators from five parties of Pakistan and they all think that it is necessary to support Azerbaijan in the Karabakh issue', said Said.

He noted that resolution No 822 adopted in the UN Security Council in 1993 (one of the four resolutions of the Security Council related to Karabakh) was adopted under the chairmanship of Pakistan and it demands the immediate withdrawal of occupational forces from the Azerbaijani lands.

The senator also noted that Pakistan provided lobby support for adoption of the resolution "On situation in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan" in the UN General Assembly in March of 2008.

"Powers are changing in Pakistan, people are replacing each others, but the country's position towards Azerbaijan and Karabakh problem remains changeless", said the senator.

As for the inter-parliamentary relations, Said said Pakistani side plans two events with participation of Azerbaijan.

The first is a conference on Azerbaijan, the Pakistani side intends to hold soon either in Baku or Islamabad. The second is the upcoming conference of the parties of the South Asian states to involve representatives of Azerbaijani ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party and to be held on October 24-26.

In turn, the Azerbaijan co-chairman of the inter-parliamentary group of friendship Eldar Ibrahimov thanked the Pakistani side for support provided to Azerbaijan.

"This support is important for us, when military men, politicians, including President Parviz Musharraf, visiting Azerbaijan, voice readiness to provide any assistance to Azerbaijan in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict", said Iberahimov.

He noted that the current visit of the Pakistani parliamentarians will encourage cooperation between the two states.