BAKU: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has proposed a mass amnesty that may affect more than 20,000 people, state media reported on Monday.&nbsp;Aliyev submitted a draft amnesty act to Azerbaijan&#39;s parliament, describing the initiative as a gesture of &quot;humanism and mercy&quot; following the 2023 recapture of the breakaway Karabakh region from Armenian forces, the Azertag state news agency said.&nbsp;According to the report, the proposal would free 5,000 inmates, and about 15,000 would see their sentences or penalties reduced or lifted.&nbsp;It is unclear whether the plan would affect political prisoners, whose number has risen to almost 400 in recent years, according to the European Parliament.&nbsp;The tightly-controlled oil-rich former Soviet republic has long faced criticism from rights groups for suppressing political dissent and muzzling independent media.&nbsp;In August, Armenia and its longtime arch-foe, Azerbaijan, committed to peace after decades of territorial conflict in a deal brokered by the White House.&nbsp;Aliyev has ruled the country since 2003, after succeeding his father, Heydar, a former communist leader and KGB general.

Central Asia

President Ilham Aliyev proposed a mass amnesty for over 20,000 people as a post-Karabakh '"humanism' gesture.

Azerbaijan to pardon thousands in largest-ever amnesty: Report

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar led the country&rsquo;s delegation to the D-8 Media Forum in Azerbaijan, a platform dedicated to enhancing cooperation among member states and promoting truthful, impartial, and responsible journalism. The forum brought together media leaders, policymakers, and experts to address the rapidly changing global information environment.&nbsp;The event opened with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of Foreign Policy Department, presenting President Ilham Aliyev&rsquo;s message to participants. In his address, the President highlighted the fast-evolving media landscape and warned of the growing dangers posed by disinformation, fake news, hybrid threats, deepfakes, and the misuse of artificial intelligence. He emphasized that these challenges are reshaping global narratives at an unprecedented pace.&nbsp;Minister Tarar&rsquo;s visit began with a productive meeting with D-8 Secretary General Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, during which both sides agreed to broaden media collaboration, expand cultural exchanges, and initiate joint training programmes aimed at capacity building for member countries.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f01f01f2-0a39-4c6d-a932-7c025f387c8a-WhatsApp Image 2025-11-24 at 6.02.03 PM.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp Image 2025-11-24 at 6.02.03 PM.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Pakistani delegation in negotiation with Azerbaijan&rsquo;s ANewZ, in Baku on November 22, 2025-ANewZ</figcaption></figure> &nbsp;In his keynote speech at the forum, Tarar described disinformation as the world&rsquo;s biggest media challenge. Citing the recent Pakistan&ndash;India tensions, he noted how an &ldquo;information war&rdquo; played out online, largely driven by Gen-Z users. To address these emerging threats, he proposed several initiatives, including a joint D-8 social media platform, collaborative fact-checking units, crisis-reporting workshops, digital forensics training, and AI content labelling to clearly distinguish real news from AI-generated material.&nbsp;The Pakistani delegation also visited Azerbaijan&rsquo;s AnewZ headquarters, exploring opportunities for joint digital production and future collaboration with Pakistan Television.&nbsp;A panel session on &ldquo;Strategic Communications and Crisis Management&rdquo; featured Pakistan TV&rsquo;s Head, Adil Shahzeb, who welcomed Azerbaijan as the newest D-8 member and backed the proposal to establish a D-8 media centre in Baku. He underscored that strategic communication and crisis management are now essential pillars of national security, public diplomacy, and effective media governance.

SAT News Desk

Pakistan urged stronger D-8 media cooperation in Azerbaijan, warning of disinformation, deepfakes, and AI misuse. Minister Tarar proposed joint platforms, fact-checking, and training, while delegates explored digital collaboration and stressed strategic communication’s growing importance for security and effective governance.

Pakistan pushes for stronger media cooperation at D-8 forum in Azerbaijan

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s unwavering commitment to peace, while making it clear that the country&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity remained inviolable. &ldquo;Pakistan seeks peace, just like our Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers, but let there be no doubt: no one can ever be allowed to challenge our sovereignty or undermine our territorial integrity,&rdquo; the prime minister said while addressing Azerbaijan&rsquo;s Victory Day parade in Baku. He said Pakistan, Turkiye and Azerbaijan were &ldquo;three brothers whose hearts beat together,&rdquo; standing shoulder to shoulder on an occasion that symbolized unity and mutual trust. &ldquo;What a proud and scintillating sight it is to witness our valiant armed forces marching beside their Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers, as the skies come alive with the roar of the JF-17 Thunder jets, a resounding symbol of our enduring friendship,&rdquo; he added. Recalling the participation of Azerbaijani and Turkish contingents in Pakistan&rsquo;s parade in Islamabad earlier this year, the prime minister said such shared moments reflected a deep and historic bond among the three nations. He paid tribute to Azerbaijan&rsquo;s liberation of Karabakh under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, calling it &ldquo;a glorious vindication of a just cause and a beacon of hope for all nations striving for sovereignty and self-determination.&rdquo; The prime minister noted that Pakistan had stood &ldquo;like a rock&rdquo; by Azerbaijan throughout its struggle, just as Azerbaijan and Turkiye stood firmly with Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India earlier this year. He praised the &ldquo;dynamic and fearless command&rdquo; of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Pakistan Armed Forces, noting the precision and professionalism with which they defended the motherland. The prime minister also highlighted Turkiye&rsquo;s development under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing it as &ldquo;one of the most successful models of progress in the modern world.&rdquo; He expressed appreciation for international diplomatic engagement that contributed to regional stability, emphasizing, &ldquo;True victory lies not on the battlefield alone, but in building bridges of peace and understanding.&rdquo; The prime minister extended felicitations from the people of Pakistan to the people of Azerbaijan on the fifth anniversary of their Victory Day, praying for the progress and prosperity of the three brotherly nations. President Ilham Aliyev, in his remarks, thanked Pakistan and Turkiye for their steadfast support during the conflict. He said the joint participation of the armed forces in the parade demonstrated &ldquo;unity, brotherhood and friendship,&rdquo; reaffirming that &ldquo;Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan.&rdquo; President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Azerbaijan on its national triumph, saying the victory marked &ldquo;the beginning of enduring peace in the region&rdquo; and underlined the importance of improved regional connectivity for shared economic growth. Azerbaijan celebrates Victory Day on November 8 to mark its success in the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, resulting in the liberation of territories previously under Armenian occupation for nearly three decades

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistani troops proudly march alongside Azerbaijani and Turkish forces, as JF-17 fighter jets perform fly-past in Baku.

Karabakh Victory Day: Pakistan backs peace, asserts sovereignty non-negotiable

ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, while addressing Azerbaijan&rsquo;s Victory Day Parade on Saturday in Baku, acknowledged Pakistan&rsquo;s support in its war against Armenia and stated, &ldquo;Pakistan backed us with solidarity and support in war&rdquo;. Victory Day is observed in Azerbaijan on November 8 to commemorate its victory in the 44-day-long Karabakh Liberation War against Armenia.Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were present at the ceremony. President Aliyev thanked leaders of Pakistan and Turkiye for accepting his invitation to attend the event and welcomed their presence at the venue. &nbsp; He said that &ldquo;today we have other important person, my dear brother prime minister of brotherly Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, stands with us, and the brotherly Pakistani state has shown the solidarity and support in all 44 days of our war.&rdquo; Aliyev further said, &ldquo;today at this parade we have also Pakistani military personnel that is marching with us at this parade. And Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkiye are showing solidarity between their armed forces.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;Our policy was to restore territorial integrity and sovereignty. We proved to the world our resilience.&rdquo; &ldquo;Karabagh is Azerbaijan.&rdquo; Pakistani troops and JF 17 Thunder fighter jets appeared in Azerbaijan&rsquo;s victory parade commemorating the Liberation of Karabagh. &lsquo;Source of pride&rsquo;&nbsp;Erdogan, while speaking at the event said that &ldquo;on the fifth anniversary of the victory day, I am very happy to be here.&rdquo; &ldquo;He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his presence. I wish Aliyev continued and lasting success.&rdquo; &ldquo;Liberation of Karabagh is a source of pride not just for Azerbaijan but for the entire Turkic world,&rdquo; Erdogan said. &lsquo;Three brothers&rsquo;Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address praised the &ldquo;heroic personnel of the armed forces of Azerbaijan.&rdquo; Sharif thanked President Aliyev for his invitation.&nbsp; He said that &ldquo;Pakistan, Azerbaijan and T&uuml;rkiye are three brothers whose hearts beat together along with our brothers from UAE.&rdquo; Sharif said Pakistan will stand with our brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan for all times to come. &ldquo;Long live Pakistan, Azerbaijan, T&uuml;rkiye, and UAE friendship,&rdquo; the Pakistani prime minister said at the end of his brief address.

Pakistani troops, JF-17 jets feature in Azerbaijan’s Victory Day Parade; Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attend the ceremony; Sharif says ‘long live Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, UAE friendship.’

Pakistan backed us in war: Azerbaijan president

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign minister and his Egyptian counterpart exchanged views on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, especially the developments in Gaza. A telephonic conversation was held between the two leaders, according to a statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. Developments in GazaPakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty, it said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976911958873194844&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=344a9fbe5eaf2d6414c517f6e95858521841675c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 793px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1976911958873194844"></iframe></div></div>According to the statement, the two leaders exchanged views on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly the developments in Gaza and Palestine. They also discussed regional diplomatic efforts and coordination ahead of the forthcoming Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, it said. Humanitarian crisis in Gaza&nbsp;Moreover, the Pakistani foreign minister also spoke with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov on Saturday, said another statement released by the ministry.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976928275449471195&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=344a9fbe5eaf2d6414c517f6e95858521841675c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 798px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1976928275449471195"></iframe></div></div>They discussed the situation in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The two ministers also exchanged views on the broader efforts by Arab-Islamic countries to promote peace and stability in the region, as well as on the forthcoming summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the statement added. According to AFP, US President Donald Trump has said he expects to head to the Middle East on Sunday, with stops in Egypt, where the talks took place, and Israel. New Gaza police force&nbsp;With Egypt&#39;s support, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has scheduled a reconstruction conference to take place a month after the ceasefire, Reuters reported on Thursday. Updated World Bank estimates put reconstruction costs for Gaza at $80 billion, up from $53 billion last October, he said. That&#39;s four times the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2022, according to the multilateral lender. Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar backed the Saudi-French plan, which called for a transitional administrative committee to be formed &quot;under the umbrella of the&quot; PA, and foresaw the deployment of an international stabilization mission at the PA&#39;s invitation. The Trump plan foresees a temporary international stabilization mission deploying to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces, saying it would &quot;consult with Jordan and Egypt&quot;, Reuters reported. Mustafa said the PA had already nominated some 5,500 Palestinians to be part of a new Gaza police force being trained by Egypt. The goal is to train at least 10,000 people.

Views exchanged on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly the developments in Gaza and Palestine; regional diplomatic efforts discussed ahead of the forthcoming Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. 

Articles tagged with "Azerbaijan"

Azerbaijan to pardon thousands in largest-ever amnesty: Report

Pakistan pushes for stronger media cooperation at D-8 forum in Azerbaijan

Karabakh Victory Day: Pakistan backs peace, asserts sovereignty non-negotiable

Pakistan backed us in war: Azerbaijan president

Pakistan’s foreign minister discuss situation in Gaza with Egyptian, Azeri counterparts