Islamabad, 11 September 2023 (TDI): Pakistan condemned the so-called elections in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, calling it an extremely provocative step.
Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch declared, “Pakistan regards Karabakh as the rightful territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Any endeavor to hold self-proclaimed elections by the unlawfully established regime is both legally and morally condemnable.”
Moreover, responding to a query regarding the so-called presidential elections in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Spokesperson said such an attempt was also a grave violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter & principles of established international law.
On Saturday, Azerbaijan´s separatist Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh elected a new President as tensions spiraled between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the breakaway enclave.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated that this is a clear violation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty as well as territorial integrity and is by no means admissible and tolerable.
In addition, he stressed that the key to attaining peace and stability in the region lies in the absolute and total withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh. Since 1991, tensions have persisted between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
This stems from the Armenian military’s occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory that is internationally acknowledged as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven neighboring regions.
In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes.
The war ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire but tensions between the two nations continue despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement.
While discussions regarding a lasting peace accord persist, tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia have escalated in recent months due to the Lachin road. This is the sole land route providing Armenia with access to the Karabakh region.
In April, Azerbaijan established a border checkpoint, citing the need to prevent the illicit transportation of military arms and equipment to the area.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) emphasized these illegitimate elections as a breach of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, asserting its non-recognition.
Furthermore, the OIC urged the UN and the international community to abstain from recognizing them and to put in place significant measures to impede Armenia’s efforts in this matter.
The statement of OIC also called upon the global community to reject the self-declared elections. Likewise, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), on the other hand, stated that the action undermined peace and stability in the region.
“This step is a flagrant violation of international law including the UN Security Council resolutions and the OSCE principles,” the Foreign Ministry in Ankara said in a statement.
Also Read: Pakistan condemns Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan
