FO denies involvement in Karabakh conflict

Spokesperson refutes claims of Pakistani army fighting alongside Azeri forces as ‘speculative and baseless’

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office on Friday refuted claims that the Pakistani army was fighting alongside Azerbaijan’s forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as “speculative and baseless,” saying that such reports were “irresponsible”.

Fighting between Azeri and Armenian forces flared up on September 27 over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region legally belongs to Azerbaijan but was captured by Armenian forces after the war between the two sides in the early 1990s.

Multiple UN resolutions have supported the Azeri stance on the issue and the two sides have fought multiple clashes over the years along their Line of Contact (LoC). It is not clear which country initiated the latest round of fighting, which has now spread along the entire border.

The Foreign Office in a statement reiterated Pakistan’s position on the issue. “Pakistan is deeply concerned over the deteriorating security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh region,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in the statement.

“The intensive shelling by Armenian forces on civilian populations of Azerbaijan is reprehensible and most unfortunate. This could compromise peace and security of the entire region. Armenia must stop its military action to avoid further escalation,” he added.

The Foreign Office spokesperson also made it clear that Pakistan supported Azerbaijan’s position on issue, “which is in line with the several unanimously-adopted United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions”.