Pakistan tent peggers in solidarity with Azerbaijan

Horses painted in colors of Turkish and Azerbaijani flags, to express solidarity with Ankara and Baku, paraded at the culmination of an international tent-pegging tournament in Pakistan's northeastern province of Punjab on Sunday.

"This is a small show of solidarity with our Turkish and Azerbaijani brothers," Sultan Bahadur Aziz, an international tent pegger and one of the organizers, told Anadolu Agency.

"We dedicate this tournament to our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters martyred in war against Armenia, " he said, referring to ongoing clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan since Sept. 27. "The entire Pakistan stands with Azerbaijan at this testing time."

Turkey, he added, has stood alongside Pakistan through thick and thin, and "we are thankful for that."

The two-day affair held in the Khushab district was attended by around 50 riders from the US, Canada and Norway besides locals.

Offering condolences over the loss of lives and devastation caused by Friday's massive earthquake in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, Aziz said all Pakistanis share the pain and grief of the Turkish nation.

Tent-pegging is a famous sport in rural Pakistan. Scores of small and big tournaments are held every year.