PESHAWAR:KP Minister for LG,E&RD, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Akbar Ayub Khan has said that provincial government wanted brotherly terms between Pakistan and Azerbaijan with exchange programs of parliamentary delegations as well as people to people contact.
He said KP government was also endeavoring for global projection of its rich tourist attractions. He said the entire KP is full with sagacious places and hill stations covering all the areas of the historical, religious and environmental tourism.
He was addressing a reception in honour of the Azerbaijan Ambassador HE Ali Alizada at University Town Club Peshawar after inaugurating the renaming and renovation work of Nizami Ganjavi Lane in University Town area on Wednesday.
The road is named after national Azerbaijan poet and philosopher by the City District Government Peshawar as token of friendship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
The ceremony besides the Azerbaijan Ambassador HE Ali Alizada, was also addressed by Mian Shafiqur Rahman, DG City District Government, and Director Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies Islamabad. Gifts, memorial shields and letters of appreciation were also exchanged between the Azer Ambassador, Minister LG, Secretary LCB Salim Khan, DC Peshawar Khalid Mahmood, DG Peshawar Metropolitan Khizar Hayat, DG City District Government and renowned social worker Syed Ali Hassan Gilani.
The Ambassador also planted a sampling of Chinar in the lawn of this official and prestigious club of City local
government besides attending a luncheon ceremony in his honour.
Akbar Ayub Khan while addressing the function recalled that Pakistan was the first country after Turkey who recognized independence of Azerbaijan in 1992 that spoke our love with the newly emerging Muslim central Asian state.
He congratulated the Azerbaijan government on its marvelous victory against Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh issue and said that it’s also the diplomatic edge that Pakistan is among few countries of the world who did not yet recognize the Armenia as a sovereign state due to its controversial status and issues with Azerbaijan.
“On Nagorno- Karabakh issue, Pakistan supported Azerbaijan’s principled stand at all international and regional platforms in the best possible diplomatic manner while on the other hand, Azerbaijan supported Pakistan on the international and regional forums on the issue of Kashmir”, he added.
He acknowledged the fact that this each other’s support on regional and global issues had made both the states closer to each other since the beginning of the relations 30 years back.
The minister also conceded that Pakistan and Azerbaijan have time-tested relations spread over last three decades in terms of culture, trade, defence and nowdays tourism sectors.
He thanked the Azerbaijan government for Baku State University, one of the largest Universities of Azerbaijan, has established the Urdu Department.
He assured that KP government would also establish Azer language department in Peshawar University wherein its vice chancellor would soon get recommendation of his government in this regard.
He further underlined the need of declaring any two cities of KP and Azerbaijan as sister cities on pattern of Chinese city Arumchi and Peshawar as well as another Chinese city Tashkent and Abbottabad. He assured that provincial government would extend full support in any progress on this matter.
The minister LG said that Azerbaijan touched hearts of the people of Pakistan as result of its full support during the earthquake in 2005 and later on with continuous philanthropic work across the length and breadth of Pakistan at various levels, schools and medical assistance in any emerging calamity.
He said in case of cultural exchanges and promotion of values of Azerbaijan, an memorial in honour of the great Azer poet Nizami Ganjavi was also established in the premises of the National Book Foundation. “These are the monuments of the togetherness which will be harnessed over the course of the coming years between the two brother nations”, he concluded.