Pakistan’s relations with Azerbaijan date back to the 1990s, when Nawaz Sharif was Prime Minister and Heydar Aliyev was President of Azerbaijan. Today, this legacy is being carried forward by CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif and President IlhamAliyev, son of Heydar Aliyev.
Azerbaijan’s founding leader, Heydar Aliyev, led Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982 and later became President of independent Azerbaijan. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan faced severe political and economic crises. During this period, Heydar Aliyev emerged as the country’s central leader, serving as President from 1993 until his death in 2003. He restored stability and strengthened Azerbaijan’s economy and international standing.
A close personal and diplomatic relationship existed between Nawaz Sharif and Heydar Aliyev, which contributed to stronger political, economic, and defense cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. President IlhamAliyev has continued this relationship, which was reaffirmed during Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s recent visit to Baku.
CM Maryam Nawaz, accompanied by her cabinet, arrived in Baku to participate in the United Nations World Urban Forum. She visited the mausoleum of Heydar Aliyev, laid a floral wreath, and also paid tribute at the Martyrs’ Memorial.
She later visited Baku’s historic library, where she was shown commemorative photographs of Nawaz Sharif and Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s visit to Azerbaijan. She also toured Baku’s old district and interacted with local culture.
Before addressing the World Urban Forum, Maryam Nawaz met President IlhamAliyev and also held sideline meetings with leaders from Bulgaria, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and other countries.
At the forum, Maryam Nawaz presented the Punjab Government’s housing initiative, “ApniChhatApnaGhar.” So far, one hundred thousand people have been provided homes, while construction on 65,000 additional houses is underway.
At the beginning of her speech, she conveyed greetings on behalf of Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the people of Pakistan. She also praised President IlhamAliyev’s leadership and thanked Azerbaijan for its hospitality.
Maryam Nawaz highlighted Punjab govt’s several initiatives, including “ApniChhatApnaGhar,” “Suthra Punjab,” the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry, electric buses, model villages, and clean drinking water projects.
Participants at the forum appreciated the Punjab Government’s large-scale public welfare initiatives.
This was the third occasion on which Maryam Nawaz addressed an international forum as CM Punjab, following earlier appearances in Turkiye and Brazil. Alongside being a politician, she has also demonstrated administrative leadership as chief minister, focusing on long-term public service delivery and development projects in Punjab.
The author is the Minister for Information and Culture, Punjab.
