Islamabad
Preston University and the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan jointly organised a seminar on ‘Black January Tragedy of Azerbaijan,’ says a press release
The referenced seminar was held at the Islamabad Campus of Preston. The acting Ambassador of Embassy of Azerbaijan in Pakistan, Chingiz Garibli was the chief guest on the occasion. Abdul Sattar, former foreign minister of Pakistan chaired the seminar.
In his address on the occasion Abdul Sattar, former foreign minister of Pakistan said the Black January Tragedy is a catastrophe that has no parallel in recent history. He said between the night of January 19 and January 20, 1990 the Soviet forces attacked Azerbaijan’s capital Baku and killed 134 innocent people. In this brutal massacre 740 people were seriously injured. Eight hundred forty Russian soldiers were arrested. Hundreds of Azeri citizens went missing after the tragedy.
In his brief remarks on the occasion, Chingiz Garibli, acting ambassador of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Pakistan said the atrocities committed by the Soviet forces on the people of Azerbaijan has no parallel in world history, he said. He informed the distinguished gathering that Azerbaijan got its independence one and half year after the Black January tragedy, and his country is now marching towards sustained progress.
Earlier, in his welcome address Dr. Abdul Basit, Chancellor Preston University extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Chingiz Garibli and Abdul Sattar for their distinguished presence at the seminar. He said Preston University has been organizing a seminar on the ‘Black January Tragedy’ since the past four years. It has been doing so with the intent of expressing its solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan. Expressing his views on the subject of the seminar Dr. Abdul Basit said the tragedy of January 20 must be condemned in the strongest terms by every civilized nation.
Eminent among the other speakers who spoke on the occasion were Dr. Saifur Rehman Malik, deputy director, Institute of Strategic Research and Studies, National Defence University (NDU) and Dr. Saima Kayani, chairperson department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi. At the conclusion of the seminar Dr. Z. A. Qureshi, head of the department of International Relations presented the vote of thanks.