Azerbaijan observes Black 20 January
Speakers at seminar highlight sacrifices of Azeri people
Islamabad—The Speakers here at a seminar on “20th January – A turning point in the history of Azerbaijan” paid tributes to the sacrifices of people of Azerbaijan for the independence of their country.
The seminar was organized by Society of Asian Civilization Pakistan to mark January 20, 1990 as turning point in the struggle of Azeri people for independence of their country from former USSR.
In his key note address Prof Dr Z.A Qureshi, Head of International Department of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) highlighted the sacrifices of Azerbaijan people for independence despite all odds.
Dr. Abdul Basit, Chancellor of Preston University Islamabad, Dr. Saif ur Rehman Malik of National Defence University and Ambassador of Azerbaijan Mr. Dashgin Shikaror and other speakers also expressed their views.
On the night between 19th and 20th January in 1990, the Soviet authorities ordered a full-scale military attack on Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan to suppress the freedom movement.
“They killed more than 130 people including women, children and elderly citizens ,injured thousands of civilians in the face of heroic resistance put up by the Azeri people and detained hundreds of civilians. Dr. Qureshi said that the Human Rights’ Watch described the Soviet army’s action as “an exercise in collective punishment” and `a warning to the nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan but also in other republics of the erstwhile Soviet Union’.
He added that among the most heinous violations of human rights during the Baku incursions were the numerous attacks on medical personnel, ambulances and even hospitals.
“January 20 stands out in its symbolism for many reasons. The faces of tragedy from a newly-wed couple and children shot by Soviet soldiers to bullet-ridden ambulances and doctors dying as they treated their patients who represented the people’s dedication to freedom and to one another,” he added.
The result of this brute ‘use of force’ in Azerbaijan was that it buried any chances of preserving the collapsing Soviet regime resurrected the national movement for independence which culminated in success in 1991 and cemented the victory of the West in the on-going ‘Cold War’”.
After 20 years of black 20 January, on wonders that the Western powers adamantly supported the incumbent Soviet regime against what they called the ‘heavily armed gangs of the hooligans and drug-traffickers’. And there was all fanfare of the fall of the ‘Berlin Wall’, a dramatic and historic event in its own right.
The other scholars who presented papers on the occasion included Ambassador Amir A Shadani and Mr. Ilham Mammador. They also highlighted the brutalities perpetrated by the Soviet Union forces on the people of Azerbaijan to quell their freedom movement.
Dr. Abdul Basit presented address of welcome while Ambassador Dashgin Shikarov delivered his presidential address.Ambassador Shikarov on the occasion thanked and expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan and Pakistani nation for support to Azeri brothers shoulder to shoulder in expressing solidarity for the independence of Azeri people.
The Ambassador presented shields to scholars while Dr. Abdul Basit who is also patron of the Society of Asian Civilization presented shield to ambassador.
