PM Shehbaz departs for Iran to attend funeral of assassinated supreme leader Khamenei

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Iran to attend the funeral of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Friday.

In a post on social media platform X, the PMO said the premier was accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP Secretary General Nayyer Bukhari, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

“The prime minister will express heartfelt condolences to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families and reaffirm Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the brotherly Iranian nation in this hour of grief,” it said.

The PMO said that after wrapping up his visit to Iran, the premier would proceed onward to Turkiye.

Earlier, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani arrived in Tehran with a high-level delegation to attend the funeral prayers and burial, state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported. Iranian officials received the Pakistani delegation upon its arrival in Tehran.

China, Afghanistan and Iran’s neighbours in the Caucasus region have said they will also be sending representatives.

The funeral ceremonies for the supreme leader will pass through a series of locations — from the seat of power in Tehran to the holy cities of Qom, Karbala, Najaf and finally Mashhad — that reflect the religious, political and ideological pillars of the Islamic republic.

His funeral, initially delayed at the height of the Middle East war, is taking place as Iran and the US uphold a fragile ceasefire after signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to halt the conflict.

The US and Israel initiated a war against Iran with the initial strikes assassinating the supreme leader and his family members — his daughter, grandchild, son-in-law and daughter-in-law. Other senior Iranian military commanders were also assassinated during the strikes, including Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader.

His public funeral will begin on Saturday, with his body lying in state at the colossal complex in central Tehran that hosts major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a massive public turnout at the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would serve as a “decisive” response to terrorism, violence and bullying, while demonstrating national unity, state broadcaster Press TV reported.

With additional input from AFP ...