ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan on Thursday rejected the so-called presidential and parliamentary elections held on March 31 in Nagorno-Karabakh -- a region illegally occupied by Armenia.

"The presidential and parliamentary elections held on March 31, 2020 in Nagorno-Karabakh, occupied territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a clear violation of international norms," Aisha Farooqui, spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry, said during a weekly briefing.

The election constitutes a clear breach of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, she added.

"It is taken as an attempt by Armenia to hamper the ongoing negotiation process for finding a lasting solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through peaceful means," said Farooqui.

Nagorno Karabakh is an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan which has been illegally occupied since 1991 by Armenia. 

Four UN Security Council and two General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many other international organizations, refer to this fact and demand the withdrawal of Armenia’s occupation forces from Nagorno Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.

The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia and the U.S. – was formed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but has yet to get any results. 

Pakistan also expressed deep concern over the lack of medical supplies in Indian-administered Kashmir where 170 cases of coronavirus were reported.

The Pakistani diplomat also condemned the Israeli government’s move of stopping ventilators from entering Gaza amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Blockade of the Gaza Strip violates international law and is condemnable, Pakistan calls for the immediate lifting of the blockade in order for Palestine to fight against the coronavirus pandemic," Farooqui said.

The global death toll from coronavirus has surpassed 90,000, with over 1.5 million cases confirmed worldwide, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.