Amid rising regional tensions, Pakistan and Azerbaijan vowed to deepen ties and stand united for peace, prosperity, and principle on the world stage.
In a power-packed meeting in Lachin—Azerbaijan’s symbol of resilience—Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed their resolve to bolster regional stability and confront international challenges head-on. The high-stakes huddle took place ahead of the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit, coinciding with Azerbaijan’s Independence Day.
Fresh off a two-day visit to Iran and following stops in Turkiye, PM Shehbaz touched down in Azerbaijan to ramp up diplomatic momentum in the aftermath of India’s recent missile strikes that ignited a deadly four-day standoff.
Greeting President Aliyev with warm congratulations on the national occasion, Shehbaz underlined the unbreakable brotherhood between the two nations and thanked Azerbaijan for its firm backing during Pakistan’s recent military clash with India. He lauded the Azerbaijani people’s solidarity and recalled celebrations in Baku over Pakistan’s battlefield victory.
The leaders hailed the upward curve in bilateral ties, especially in political, economic, defence, and cultural domains, and greenlit the exchange of investment delegations. Talks are expected to begin soon.
Calling Lachin a city of symbolic strength, Shehbaz noted that holding the summit there reflected shared stories of recovery and defiance. The meeting ended with a joint pledge to turbocharge the Pakistan-Azerbaijan partnership on all fronts.
Top Pakistani officials—including Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar—accompanied the PM, who received a red-carpet welcome at Lachin Airport by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
The regional tour follows India’s May 7 missile onslaught that killed at least 31 civilians in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. In swift retaliation, Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets—including three Rafales—and dozens of drones. The four-day conflict left 11 Pakistani troops and over 40 civilians martyred.
A ceasefire brokered on May 10 brought a fragile pause to the worst India-Pakistan flare-up in nearly 30 years.
Pakistan is now stepping up its diplomatic offensive to dismantle Indian propaganda and spotlight New Delhi’s belligerence. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is set to lead a global briefing mission to rally support for Islamabad’s peace-first stance.