talking with Dr Mehmood ul Hassan Khan on recent military coop between two brotherly countries

Pakistan is one of the countries that has recognized Azerbaijan
as an independent country since December 12, 1991. Azerbaijan
observed majority of this 30-year-cooperation and friendship
between the two countries during the Second Karabakh war. Like
Turkiye, they also gave their military support to Azerbaijan and
showed perseverance in liberating our lands that were under
occupation for 30 years. The people of Pakistan also do not forget
the good. If we look at history, we can say that
Azerbaijan-Pakistan friendship started at the end of the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th century while a deadly
disease began to spread in Pakistan at that time. At such a moment,
Azerbaijani philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev supported the
country. Despite the passage of years, the people of Pakistan
always remember this history – the history of friendship and
brotherhood.

Nevertheless, this friendship existing between the two countries
was further strengthened in January 2021 with the signing of an
agreement by the foreign ministers of the country in a trilateral
(Azerbaijan-Turkiye-Pakistan) format.

Currently, high-ranking officers of both countries are in the
capital Islamabad for the purpose of strengthening and developing
those relations.

It should be noted that the Deputy Minister of Defense of
Azerbaijan – Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army,
Colonel General Karim Valiyev, who visited Pakistan these days, met
with his counterpart General Syed Asim Munir in Pakistan and held
talks on the expansion of military exercises.

Commenting on the following issue to Azernews,
Pakistani political analyst Dr. Mehmud ul Hassan Khan spoke about
the importance of the meeting of the heads of the Pakistani army
with Azerbaijan and emphasized that there are wide opportunities in
the meeting between the Defense Chiefs of the General Staff of the
two countries.

“It seems that prospects are very high and opportunities are
very huge and diversified in bilateral as well as trilateral
military cooperation between brotherly country Azerbaijan and
Pakistan and of course Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Türkiye. There has
been momentum in bilateral high official meetings, bilateral visits
and participation in defense expos and holding of joint and
trilateral military exercises between and among the three strategic
countries in the past which vividly reflects importance of
increasing military ties because of rapidly changing geopolitical
and geostrategic dimensions of South Caucasus and South Asia.

Moreover, constant and continued military aggression of Armenia
and increasing military ties between Armenia and India has further
urged that military cooperation must be sustainable and progressive
between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

In this regard, for the further strengthening of bilateral
military relations with Pakistan and exploring mutual prospects of
mutual manufacturing of military products a delegation led by First
Deputy Minister of Defense Chief of the General Staff of the
Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev visited the
headquarters of the Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS)
organization of Pakistan,” the expert emphasized.

Touching on the wide-range of opportunities in Pakistan Army’s
military arsenal, the expert also introduced some new weapons and
know-how technologies constituting backbone of the Islamic army in
the east.

“It is indeed a vast field and keeping in view the rapidly
changing global military sector, the armed forces of Pakistan is
vigilant to take all possible measures to upgrade its forces. The
following modern arms may be included and upgraded in the armed
forces of Pakistan.

(a) Latest compatible Air-Defense System

(b) Anti-Ballistic Missile System

(c) Modern Rader System

(d) Modern unmanned system

(e) Induction of 5th generation fighter jet with the help of
Türkiye

(f) Mini nuclear submarine technology

(g) stealth technology

(h) Laser technology

(i) Latest missile technology and manufacturing

These are and may also be included and operationalized in armed
forces of Pakistan, standard heavy machine gun, Automatic grenade
launcher, Rocket grenade launcher, Anti-tank rocket launcher,
Command-detonated anti-personnel mine, Modernized and Upgraded
version of Al Khalid & Al Zarrar, Multirole armoured personnel
carrier and infantry fighting vehicle, Light tactical vehicle, Tank
destroyers 550, KRL Fatah-1, 300mm MLR, the system can launch CALT
built rocket having maximum range of 120 km locally produced by
SUPARCO, 155mm truck mounted howitzer, Anti-tank guided missiles,
NESCOM Barq, HQ-9P variant, Man-portable air-defense systems, Air
defence anti-aircraft gun systems (Type 85), IBIS-150 Air
surveillance radar, JY-27A 3-D long-range air surveillance &
guidance radar, YLC-18A, Long-range, ground-based L-band 3D AESA
low-level gap filler air search radar, Unmanned aerial vehicles,
NESCOM Burraq, GIDS Shahpar, GIDS Uqab, JF-17 Thunder bloc III,
airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems aircraft
etc,” Khan said.

Furthermore, the political analyst also discussed prospects of
Azerbaijan-Pakistan military cooperation and its mutual benefits in
future defense strategies of bothe countries.

“Pakistan and Azerbaijan are strategic allies and share common
historic, cultural and religious values. The relationship between
the two countries has covered economic, defence, political and
diplomatic cooperation since Azerbaijan’s independence.

Given the recent meeting of the Defense Chiefs, I can say that
Pakistan is ready to help Azerbaijan in terms of training, joint
manufacturing, JF-17 Thunder Bloc-III fighter jet, missile
technology, unmanned vehicles, tank manufacturing, joint exercises,
radar, laser technologies etc. According to reliable defense
sources, military cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan has
been further strengthened and diversified.

It is suggested that a joint cooperation in the production of
armed Bayraktar TB2 drones, 5th generation fighter jet, joint
production of cutting-edge military equipment, developing and
manufacturing cutting-edge aerial devices should be initiated as
soon as possible which would be mutually beneficial for all the
countries in the days to come.

Doctor Mehmood ul Hassan Khan also stressed some important
reasons making Azerbaijan and Pakistan so brotherly, as well as
pointed support of his country to Azerbaijan during the Patriotic
War.

“Pakistan has special historic, cultural, social, political and
diplomatic relationships with Azerbaijan which may not be confined
only to bilateral diplomatic domain. For centuries, the people of
both countries have been visiting, interacting and carrying
caravans of human values, ethnic diversity, education, commerce and
above all mutual respect and trust. Moreover, because of its love,
respect and compassion the government has not yet recognized
Armenia because of its fascist history, present aggression and past
illegal occupation of Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan.

During the glorious Patriotic War of Azerbaijan, the government
of Pakistan, armed forces, media, intellectuals and common people
showed unwavering support to government and people of Azerbaijan.
We remained supportive to armed forces of Azerbaijan in its
peaceful persuasions against Armenia. The statements of the
chairman of Pakistan Senate, armed forces and government all showed
love and respect for the just cause of Azerbaijan. Because we both
share spirits of resilience, courage, bravery and of course
military preparedness for good cause which would be further
strengthened in terms of countering Armenia and India military
cooperation in South Caucasus region.

Pakistani professor added that the cooperation between the two
brotherly countries will not suffice in the field of military but
in many spheres.

“I strongly believe that there are vast opportunities in the
diverse field of economy, investment, joint ventures, special
economic free zones, CPEC, oil & gas energy cooperation,
agriculture cooperation (duties on rice has been removed by
Azerbaijan government and therefore exports of rice from Pakistan
is constantly on the rise), infrastructure development especially
in the newly liberated areas of Karabakh, dairy cooperation, hybrid
seeds, climate change cooperation, energy generation, health,
education, tourism, banking and finance especially Islamic banking,
formation of sustainable supply chains, Software, ICT, fertilizer,
textile, pharmaceutical, sugar and surgical plants, SMEs,
micro-financing, women empowerment and entrepreneurship, insurance
companies and last but not least, science & technology between two
brotherly countries,” the expert concluded.

Dr Mehmood ul Hassan Khan is the Executive Director of
the Center of South Asia & International Studies (CSAIS)
Islamabad

He is a Regional expert on Azerbaijan & South
Caucasus

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