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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that Pakistan would respond with "full force" to any attacks against the country while claiming Pakistani forces recently shot down six Indian military aircraft during a speech at Azerbaijan's Independence Day celebration.
Speaking at the 107th Independence Day event in Lachin, attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Sharif detailed recent military confrontations between Pakistan and India while emphasizing trilateral solidarity.
Sharif described Pakistan's response to what he characterized as Indian aggression following an April 22 terrorist attack in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.
"We had to respond to defend Pakistan, and in a short time, our Air Force shot down a total of six Indian aircraft and one French-made Rafale drone aircraft, one MiG-29, and another aircraft," Sharif stated during his address.
The Pakistani leader claimed India launched "baseless accusations" against Pakistan following the terrorist attack, rejecting Pakistan's proposal for an international investigation commission to transparently investigate the incident.
According to Sharif, India's subsequent attack killed 33 Pakistani civilians, including children, women, and elderly people, with 55 others wounded.
"We conducted the funeral prayer for a 6-year-old child who was martyred in India's attack," he said.
Sharif announced a historic expansion of the traditional Pakistan-Türkiye partnership to include Azerbaijan, stating: "Previously we used to say '2 souls, 1 heart (Pakistan-Türkiye).' This has now changed forever to '3 souls, 1 heart (Pakistan-Türkiye-Azerbaijan)'."
The Prime Minister emphasized the mutual support among the three nations during challenging times, noting that when Azerbaijan was attacked by Armenia, Türkiye and Pakistan stood "like a solid rock" beside Azerbaijan.
"When Pakistan was attacked by India, my very dear brother President Erdogan and our brothers in Türkiye stood like a strong fortress beside Pakistan. And my very dear brother Aliyev and our brothers in Azerbaijan came without delay to show full solidarity with Pakistan," Sharif explained.
Despite the military confrontation claims, Sharif emphasized Pakistan's peaceful intentions while maintaining a defensive stance.
"Pakistan is a peace-loving country; we want to promote peace and prosperity in the region, but if Pakistan is attacked, we will respond with all our strength," he declared.
Sharif noted that India subsequently requested a ceasefire, which Pakistan accepted because "we wanted to prevent war at all costs."
The Pakistani Prime Minister addressed the Kashmir issue, thanking President Erdogan and President Aliyev for their support of Kashmir's "just cause."
He described the region's mountains as "painted with blood" and vowed continued support for Kashmiri freedom fighters.
"They have not given up this struggle and will never give up until they obtain the basic freedom rights guaranteed by UN Charter articles and Security Council resolutions," Sharif stated.
Regarding Gaza, Sharif drew parallels between the situations in Kashmir and Gaza, citing 52,000 Palestinian casualties, including children, women, and elderly people.
"I wonder when the conscience of the civilized world will awaken to this cruelty and Israel's barbaric actions." This barbarism must be condemned most strongly and by everyone together," he said, praising President Erdogan as a champion of the Palestinian cause.
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The speech followed the second round of the trilateral summit between Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan.
Sharif described the meeting as "extremely productive" for coordinated efforts among the three nations.
He noted the symbolic significance of the three nations' flags flying together in Lachin, stating, "These flags strongly express that they will rise even higher together. We will walk together on the path of progress and prosperity."
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