Horses painted in colors of Turkish and Azerbaijani flags, to express solidarity with Ankara and Baku, paraded at the culmination of an international tent-pegging tournament in Pakistan’s northeastern province of Punjab on Sunday.
“This is a small show of solidarity with our Turkish and Azerbaijani brothers,” Sultan Bahadur Aziz, an international tent pegger and one of the organizers, told Anadolu Agency.
Pakistan 🇵🇰 stands with Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 in its quest to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh issue as per #UNSC resolutions: PM @ImranKhanPTI https://t.co/MCnleoIhkQ
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) October 31, 2020
“We dedicate this tournament to our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters martyred in war against Armenia, ” he said, referring to ongoing clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan since Sept. 27. “The entire Pakistan stands with Azerbaijan at this testing time.”
Turkey, he added, has stood alongside Pakistan through thick and thin, and “we are thankful for that.” The two-day affair held in the Khushab district was attended by around 50 riders from the US, Canada and Norway besides locals.
Read more: WATCH: Pakistan, Turkey flags fly high on streets of battle-hardened Azerbaijan
Offering condolences over the loss of lives and devastation caused by Friday’s massive earthquake in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, Aziz said all Pakistanis share the pain and grief of the Turkish nation.
Tent-pegging is a famous sport in rural Pakistan. Scores of small and big tournaments are held every year.
Pakistan Armed Forces fully support Azerbaijan
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Nadeem Raza said Friday that his forces fully support Azerbaijan’s position in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Alizada met with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Nadeem Raza at the Joint Staff Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi to discuss matters of bilateral interest and regional security, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — the Pakistan army’s media wing.
The military chief reaffirmed the brotherly relationship between the two countries and said it is built on strong foundations.
Azerbaijan’s ambassador thanks Pakistan for its support
“CJCSC [Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee] said that Pakistan Armed Forces fully support Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh, which is in line with the several unanimously adopted United Nations Security Council resolutions,” according to ISPR.
Read more: ‘Irresponsible, baseless’: FO says Pakistan Army not fighting in Azerbaijan
The ambassador thanked Raza for Pakistan’s support for the just cause of Azerbaijan.
“Pleased to call on General Nadeem Raza, the Chairman JCSC of Pakistan & discuss the ways of further strengthening bilateral #military relations between our brotherly countries,” he tweeted following the meeting.
Last week, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry refuted Indian media reports that Pakistan is fighting alongside Azerbaijani forces against Armenia in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and termed the reports “irresponsible, speculative, and baseless.”
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk