India seeking ‘revenge’ for backing Pak: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has accused India of targeting it on international forums after Baku extended political support to Pakistan during New Delhi’s military strikes against cross-border terror infrastructure earlier this year.

In a bold and calculated move, India had on May 7 launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision airstrikes on nine terror camps located across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror massacre that claimed 26 civilian lives.

The four-day confrontation between India and Pakistan saw Azerbaijan openly back Islamabad, sparking fresh diplomatic strains between New Delhi and Baku.

On September 1, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

During the meeting, Aliyev claimed that India had attempted to retaliate against Azerbaijan by lobbying against it in international organisations.

“He noted that, in response to Azerbaijan’s support, India has attempted to retaliate against Azerbaijan in international organisations, but stressed that it held no significance for Azerbaijan,” a press communique by the office of President of Azerbaijan read.

The open display of solidarity between Islamabad and Baku is expected to deepen India-Azerbaijan tensions at a time when New Delhi is recalibrating its West Asia and Eurasia strategies.