Speakers at a seminar on ‘Khojaly Genocide in Azerbaijan’ paid tribute to the resolve of the people of Azerbaijan in the face of the Armenian genocide carried out in Khojaly town on the night of 25th and 26th February, 1992.
The seminar was organised by National University of Modern Languages (NUML) on Tuesday in collaboration with the Society of Asian Civilisations, Pakistan to mark the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.
In his key note address, NUML IR Department Head Prof Dr ZA Qureshi highlighted the historical prospective of the genocide and the background of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said the Armenian occupation forces violated international human rights conventions when they perpetrated a mass massacre and captured a territory against the will of the Azeri.
He added that the Armenian forces are holding the Azerbaijani areas of Khojaly and Nagorno-Karabakh in violation of the UN Security council
laws. He also quoted a statement issued by the Pakistani Senate, which condemned the brutal acts.
NUML IR Assistant Professor Sarwat Rauf, National Defence University IR Department HoD Dr Mohammad Khan, Fatima Jinnah Women University Defence and Diplomatic Studies Department HoD Dr Saima Kayani and others presented their papers on the topic.
The speakers threw light on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and recounted the historical background of the massacre, terming it a tragedy of the 20th century and explained its counter effects on the civilised world.
Azerbaijani Ambassador Dashgin Shikarov also expressed his views
regarding the Russian-backed massacre of innocent Azeri. He said: “This genocide is a source of constant pain in the hearts of Azerbaijanis and it is wound which will never heal.”
He appreciated Pakistan’s support for Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and for standing by the victims of Khojaly genocide.
Pakistan has not extended recognition to the newly independent state of Armenia to express solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan, he added. He also thanked the NUML administration for arranging the seminar for the IR students as it would help them know more about the issue.
A question and answer session was held at the end of the seminar, during which questions invited from the students were answered by the speakers.
NUML Rector Maj Gen (retd) Masood Hasan and Ambassador Shikarov presented shields to the speakers.
