ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 : Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday extended greetings to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Azeri people as the country celebrated 29th Independence anniversary on the day.

Azerbaijan first declared independence from the Russian Tsar under the chairmanship of Mehmet Emin Resulzade on May 28, 1918, but was occupied by the Soviet Union after a short period of two years. In 1991, Azerbaijan re-established its status as an independent state on Oct. 18 – the day when Independence Day is celebrated annually.

“I extend warmest felicitations to (President) Ilham Aliyev & fraternal people of Azerbaijan on their Independence Day.”

We pay tribute to Azeri forces valiantly defending their territorial integrity,” the prime minister said on Twitter.

He reiterated that Pakistan stood with Azerbaijan in its quest to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh issue as per the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions.