Punjab govt appreciated at world forum

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Pakistan's relations with Azerbaijan are not new; rather, the foundation of these strong ties was laid during Nawaz Sharif's first tenure as Prime Minister, when Heydar Aliyev was President of Azerbaijan and the father of the current President, Ilham Aliyev. Today, this legacy is being carried forward by Nawaz Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and Heydar Aliyev's son, Ilham Aliyev. Before beginning my discussion, I would like to share some important facts about Azerbaijan's national leader and founder, Heydar Aliyev.

Most Pakistanis are unfamiliar with Pakistan's relations with Central Asian countries. Pakistan established ties with Azerbaijan in the 1990s, when Nawaz Sharif was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan for the first time. Azerbaijan's national leader and founder, Heydar Aliyev, was a visionary statesman. He led the country for nearly three decades. Initially, he governed Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982 and later became the President of independent Azerbaijan.

At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan faced severe political and economic crises. During this period of instability, the people of Azerbaijan turned to Heydar Aliyev as a leader. He was elected Speaker of Parliament in June 1993 and later became President of Azerbaijan in October 1993. He served as President until his death in 2003.

Heydar Aliyev restored peace in Azerbaijan and strengthened the national economy through agreements with foreign companies. Owing to his successful foreign policy, Azerbaijan emerged as an important country on the global stage.

There existed a long-standing personal and diplomatic friendship between Nawaz Sharif and Azerbaijan's founding President Heydar Aliyev, established in the early 1990s. This close relationship became a milestone in fostering brotherly and strategic ties between the two countries. Even today, these relations are regarded as a strong diplomatic and cultural asset between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, a fact repeatedly acknowledged by Azerbaijan's top leadership.

From the time Nawaz Sharif first became Prime Minister of Pakistan, deep ties were forged between him and Heydar Aliyev. These relations played a key role in promoting political, economic, and defense cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Both leaders openly supported each other's positions on matters of mutual interest and worked towards strengthening connectivity between Central and South Asia.

Heydar Aliyev's son and the current President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has also continued this long-standing friendship between his father and Nawaz Sharif. During the recent visit to Baku, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif held an important meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, where both leaders appreciated the continuation of this enduring friendship and bilateral relations.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, accompanied by her cabinet, arrived in Baku to participate in the United Nations World Urban Forum. She received a grand welcome at the airport. On the first day, Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited the mausoleum of Azerbaijan's founding leader, Heydar Aliyev, laid a floral wreath, and offered prayers. She also placed flowers at the Martyrs' Memorial.

Subsequently, Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited Baku's historic library, where she was shown commemorative photographs of Nawaz Sharif and Begum Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif's visit to Azerbaijan. She also toured Baku's old and historic district and tasted traditional Azerbaijani bread.

Before addressing the World Urban Forum, Maryam Nawaz Sharif also met President Ilham Aliyev. In addition, she held sideline meetings with the leaders of Bulgaria, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and several other countries.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif attended the World Urban Forum to introduce the Punjab Government's historic housing initiative, "Apni Chhat Apna Ghar," to the world. In a short period of time, the Punjab Government has provided homes to citizens of the province. So far, one hundred thousand people have been provided with homes, while construction work on sixty-five thousand additional houses is progressing rapidly. This is among the fastest and largest housing projects of its kind in the world.

At the beginning of her speech, CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif conveyed greetings to the participants of the World Urban Forum on behalf of Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the people of Pakistan.

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed great admiration for the performance of President Ilham Aliyev and described his vision as highly impressive. Referring to Nawaz Sharif's close association and friendship with Baku, she remarked that it felt as though she had come not to Baku but to her own home. She further stated that the respect and hospitality extended to her were beyond words.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif informed the participants of the World Urban Forum about the Punjab Government's key initiatives, including "Apni Chhat Apna Ghar," "Suthra Punjab," the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry, electric buses, model villages, and clean drinking water projects through the Public Health Engineering Department.

The participants of the forum gave Maryam Nawaz Sharif a standing ovation and appreciated her for implementing such large-scale and impactful initiatives within a short period of time.

This was the third occasion on which Maryam Nawaz Sharif addressed an international forum as chief minister. Prior to this, she had also demonstrated her capabilities in Türkiye and Brazil. Her style of addressing international forums reflects her confidence and composure. Whether addressing high-level dignitaries or general audiences, her speech remains confident and consistent, which makes it impactful.

Alongside being a successful politician, Maryam Nawaz Sharif has also demonstrated strong performance as the chief minister. Only a short time has passed since her election as chief minister, yet her governance style reflects experience, vision, and leadership. Rather than focusing on temporary relief, she is concentrating on ensuring the provision of permanent and fundamental public services.

All projects launched by Maryam Nawaz Sharif in Punjab have been designed with future requirements in mind. This is why her initiatives are receiving increasing appreciation at both national and international levels.

The author is Punjab Minister for Information and Culture.