Pakistan Army's Involvement In Azerbaijan's Military Efforts

In 2020, media reports claimed that the Pakistani army was fighting alongside Azerbaijani forces against Armenia in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri refuted these claims, stating that such reports were irresponsible, speculative and baseless. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev also asserted that his country's army did not require external help. Nevertheless, Pakistan and Azerbaijan have a history of strategic partnership and military cooperation, with Pakistani military experts training Azerbaijani units and joint military drills being conducted. The two countries also share a mutual support for each other's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh and Kashmir conflicts.

Pakistan denies its army's presence in Azerbaijan

Pakistan has denied claims by Indian media outlets that its army is fighting alongside Azerbaijan in the conflict over the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has called such reports "irresponsible, speculative and baseless".

However, Pakistan has reiterated its support for Azerbaijan's position on the region, which is recognised by several UN Security Council resolutions. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has also expressed concern over the security situation in the region, condemning Armenian "military action" and calling for a halt to avoid further escalation.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have a history of military cooperation, with Pakistan providing training to Azerbaijani military units and the two countries agreeing to produce weapons for common purposes. Pakistan is also the only country that does not recognise Armenia as a country and supports Azerbaijan's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been ongoing since the early 1990s, when the region broke away from Azerbaijan during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite calls from world powers for an immediate halt to the clashes, the situation has continued to deteriorate, with both sides blaming each other for the violence.

Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have had varying degrees of diplomatic relations over the years. Pakistan has supported Azerbaijan's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is aligned with several UN Security Council resolutions. Both countries have exchanged ambassadors and have a presence of expatriates in each other's countries.

In 2020, reports emerged that Pakistan had sent troops to fight alongside Azerbaijan and Turkey against Armenia in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. These reports were refuted by the Pakistani government, which called them "irresponsible, speculative, and baseless." The Pakistani Foreign Office reiterated its deep concern over the security situation in the region and called for an end to the violence.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev thanked Pakistan, along with Turkey and Afghanistan, for their support in the conflict with Armenian forces. However, Aliyev also asserted that Azerbaijan's army did not require external assistance.

The dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been a long-standing issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with world powers calling for a halt to the clashes. The OSCE Minsk Group was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful resolution, but the conflict persists, impacting the stability of the entire region.

Pakistan's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Pakistan has never had formal diplomatic relations with Armenia and is the only country that does not recognise it as a sovereign state. This is due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Pakistan has close relations with Azerbaijan regarding the conflicts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It supported Azerbaijan during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1991 and the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. Pakistan has also repeatedly supported Azerbaijan's position at the United Nations and other international forums.

In 2020, Pakistan rejected reports from Indian media outlets that the Pakistani army was fighting alongside Azerbaijani forces against Armenia. The Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudri called the reports "irresponsible, speculative and baseless". However, Pakistan reiterated its support for Azerbaijan's position on Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region.

In 2023, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry released a statement reaffirming its "unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan" in Nagorno-Karabakh. This came after the Azerbaijani military offensive that year, which displaced over 100,000 Armenians from the region and triggered the collapse of the Armenia-backed Republic of Artsakh.

While Pakistan's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is clear, it is unclear what its official position is on establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia, especially after the exodus of ethnic Armenians from the region and the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh.

Armenian media claims of Pakistani soldiers in Azerbaijan

Armenian media has claimed that Pakistani soldiers are fighting alongside the Azerbaijani army in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. These reports emerged in September 2020, with an Armenian news outlet, FreeNews.AM, citing a telephone conversation between two civilians in the area. One of the civilians was quoted as saying, "On Agdam's side, they have gathered Pakistani soldiers and have taken them towards Agdam."

In response to these claims, the Pakistani government has vehemently denied the presence of its army in Azerbaijan. The Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudri called the reports "irresponsible, speculative and baseless." He reiterated that Pakistan was deeply concerned about the security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and condemned the Armenian forces' shelling of Azerbaijani civilian populations. Pakistan has also stated that it supports Azerbaijan's position on Nagorno-Karabakh, which aligns with several UN Security Council resolutions.

The dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been ongoing since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. It is worth noting that Pakistan recognized Azerbaijani sovereignty in 1991 and does not recognize Armenia as a sovereign state due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia and Azerbaijan, however, have always recognized each other's sovereignty.

The presence of Pakistani troops in Azerbaijan, if true, could be seen as a reciprocation of Turkey's support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Turkey has also been vocal in its support for Azerbaijan's right to self-defense in the conflict. Meanwhile, Armenia has accused Turkey of providing military support, including drones, personnel, and F-16s.

Pakistan-Azerbaijan military cooperation

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have a unique political relationship that has surpassed territorial boundaries and geographical distances. Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognise Azerbaijan's independence following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. Today, Pakistan is the only country that has not established diplomatic relations with Baku's main foe, Armenia.

The two nations are considered "strategic partners", and their bilateral strategic cooperation spans the economic, cultural, political, and defence fields.

In 2002, the two countries concluded an agreement on defence and military cooperation. This agreement allows Azerbaijani military staff, particularly special force units, to take part in annual military drills with Pakistani armed forces. As part of this agreement, Azerbaijani naval personnel participated in AMAN-2013, the biggest Pakistani-led multinational exercise held in the Arabian Sea in March 2013.

In February 2014, Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed a military cooperation agreement in Islamabad. The document was updated in 2015 and 2016 during the Working Group Meetings in Baku and Islamabad, respectively.

Azerbaijan has been locked in a long-term, bloody conflict with Armenia for over a decade and considers the development of its defence industry a top priority. Baku enjoys Pakistan's full diplomatic support regarding the conflict and views Pakistan as a source of military hardware.

Azerbaijan has expressed interest in purchasing the JF-17 Thunder (also known as the FC-1 Xiaolong), a multi-functional aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China. While no formal deal has been reached, Azerbaijan's interest in the JF-17 Thunder indicates the country's desire to modernise and strengthen its air forces.

Beyond joint exercises and defence agreements, Pakistan and Azerbaijan engage in continuous dialogue and high-level meetings to foster military cooperation. Their collaboration makes a significant contribution to regional security, particularly regarding border security and the growing threat of global terrorism.

In recent years, Pakistani military experts have trained approximately a hundred Azerbaijani military units, further solidifying the defence ties between the two nations.

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