Shehbaz says Pakistan-Azerbaijan ties growing stronger

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan and Azerbaijan share strong brotherly relations and that bilateral cooperation between the two countries continues to deepen across multiple sectors.

The remarks came during a meeting in Islamabad with Azerbaijani Justice Minister Farid Turab Oglu Ahmadov, who called on the prime minister during his official visit to Pakistan.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed warm greetings to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and recalled their recent telephone conversation earlier this week.

The Pakistani side included Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch.

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According to officials, the two sides discussed ongoing cooperation in legal and judicial matters. The Azerbaijani minister briefed the prime minister on collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening mutual legal assistance frameworks and enhancing judicial capacity-building mechanisms in both countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated the progress made under existing bilateral arrangements and expressed hope for continued expansion of cooperation in all sectors. He also said he looked forward to meeting President Aliyev soon to further strengthen ties between Islamabad and Baku.

Separately, the prime minister chaired a high-level meeting on housing sector reforms in Pakistan. During the session, he stressed the need for comprehensive reforms to address the challenges created by rapid population growth and unplanned urban expansion.

He said affordable housing for low-income groups, promotion of low-cost housing schemes, greater private sector participation and improved public facilities remained among the government’s top priorities.

Officials briefed the meeting on ongoing efforts to formulate a long-term housing strategy aimed at improving urban planning and protecting agricultural land from unchecked expansion.