Islamabad:November 8, marks Victory Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan, a day that holds profound significance for the nation. Three years ago, Azerbaijan achieved a historic victory by liberating its territories from Armenian occupation, effectively restoring its territorial integrity. This accomplishment followed nearly three decades of enduring occupation, during which Armenia occupied 20% of Azerbaijani lands through war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and inhumane actions.
During the years of occupation, Armenia committed heinous acts, including the Khojaly Genocide in 1992, which claimed the lives of 613 innocent civilians, including 106 women and 63 children. Azerbaijanis faced expulsion from their own lands, and cultural and religious monuments were destroyed, mosques desecrated, and even turned into pigsties.
In the face of this prolonged conflict, Azerbaijan consistently sought peaceful negotiations to resolve the Karabakh conflict but was met with Armenian resistance, leading to ongoing military provocations. In 2020, Azerbaijan, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, launched a counter-offensive in response to Armenia's large-scale military attacks, ultimately liberating its territories from Armenian occupation. This victory was seen as the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions that had long been ignored by Armenia.
The aftermath of the war saw Armenia continuing its military provocations, leading the Azerbaijan Army to launch local anti-terrorist measures to ensure the provisions of the Joint Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020 and the return of civilians to the liberated territories. Additionally, Azerbaijan embarked on massive reconstruction and restoration efforts in the liberated areas, allocating over 7 billion USD for this purpose.
