Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistan
May 10 2008

Gas pipeline to bring in economic development, people’s empowerment

ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP): Speakers at a seminar were unanimous that the
gas pipeline from Central Asian states to Pakistan, India and China
would not only resolve the energy crisis confronting the region but
also would bring in economic development and empowerment of the
peoples of the entire region.

The moot titled `Hayder Aliyev as an architect of Azerbaijan
Statehood’, was held to pay homage to the services of Founding
President of Azerbaijan for making his country economically sound and
empowerment of his people.

Addressing the audience, PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain
Sayed, who is also Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, said the peoples of Azerbaijan and Pakistan were tied in
traditional, historical, religious, brotherly ties and this bond was
holding them together.

`Azerbaijan has a special regard for Pakistani people who adore
Azerbaijan as the land of Caucus (Koh Qaf). Since our childhood, we
are cherished the tales of faeries of the Caucus’, he said.

Mushahid was of the view that a leader must have some inbuilt
exclusive qualities and the most important of those was `courage’.

`Courage is the most essential quality which makes a leader exclusivel
distinctive. Hayder Aliyev had this majestic quality as he dared to
disagree with former Russian President Gorbachev. Though Aliyev was
deseated from the slot of Deputy Prime Minister of Russian Federation,
yet he fought his way back and got his country freed from Russian
Federation’, he said.

Mushahid reminded the audience that there were only two occasions for
Pakistani people to rejoice during the past two decades i.e. Pakistan
going nuclear in 1998 and the independence of Central Asian States. He
said Pakistan stood firmly with Azerbaijan over the issue of foreign
occupation of Azeri territory.

Mushahid said that Azerbaijan claimed independence in October 1991
while Pakistan was the second state to acknowledged it in December
1991.

He was of the view that nations get their decades-old issues resolved
by standing committed with their principled stance.

`Besides, Pakistan was the first nation to open its embassy in
Azerbaijan while we are the only state who has not acknowledged
Armenia, who has captured 20 percent of Azerbiajan territory,’ he
said.

Since then, he added, Azerbaijan-Pakistan ties are getting
strengthened with the every day passing.

Former Ambassador Khalid Mehmood said Hayder Aliyev contributed a lot
for making his nation modern, tolerant and developed nation.

`Azerbaijan, with a GDP of 45 percent, is on the move towards new
horizons of development. Being a tolerant society, people belonging to
Islam, Christianity, Judaism etc are enjoying full freedom,’ he said.

Engin Soysal, the Ambassador of Turkey; Sergy Peskove, the Ambassador
of Russia; Dr. Eynulla Madatali, the ambassador of Azerbaijan and
Zahid Malik also spoke over the occasion.