Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to attend Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral in Iran

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Iran on Friday to attend the funeral of the country's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes in February, the Foreign Office announced on Thursday.

Sharif will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, several federal cabinet members and senior government officials during the visit to Tehran.

"The prime minister will convey condolences on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families while reaffirming solidarity with the brotherly nation in their hour of profound grief," Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.

He would “hold discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations with a special focus on giving impetus to bilateral trade and investment cooperation between the two brotherly countries,” Andrabi said.

“The leadership meeting will also reflect on issues concerning regional peace and security,” he added.

Following his engagements in Iran, the Pakistani prime minister will travel to Turkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Andrabi said.

During his visit to Turkiye, Sharif is also scheduled to address a business conference organised by Pakistan. The event will showcase the country's trade and investment opportunities across key sectors, including special economic zones (SEZs), energy, information technology, trade and privatisation, Andrabi added.

The conference aims to highlight Pakistan's economic potential and attract greater foreign investment into strategic industries.

Earlier, ahead of the Iranian President's visit to Pakistan last week, Prime Minister Sharif announced that he would travel to Tehran to attend the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader.

Salman Khurshid to represent Congress at Khamenei’s state funeral

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Thursday confirmed that he will represent the Congress party at the state funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Khurshid told ANI: "I am representing the party and will attend the state funeral ceremony of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei."

Khurshid said he would attend the funeral ceremonies in Iran on behalf of the Congress, reaffirming the party's participation in the state event.

On June 3, Iranian authorities announced plans to hold a three-day public funeral for the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran Deputy Mayor Mohammad Amin Tavakoli-Zadeh shared details of the extensive arrangements for the multi-city commemorations. He said the funeral processions would be organised across several major cities, including the capital Tehran, as well as the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad.

According to Iranian state media, the funeral ceremonies are set to commence on July 4. The observances will continue with events in Qom, located south of Tehran, on July 7 before concluding with Khamenei's burial in his hometown of Mashhad, a holy city in northeastern Iran, on July 9.

Under Islamic tradition, burial is generally expected to take place as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of death. However, exceptions are allowed under extraordinary circumstances, including periods of war.

The timing of the state funeral had been the subject of speculation for months. Initial reports suggested that the ceremonies could be held in late June, but Iranian state media later confirmed the official schedule for July.

On June 24, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the state funeral and burial ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, reported ANI.

The invitation is being viewed as a significant diplomatic gesture following the death of the 86-year-old leader, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28.

Khamenei had led the Islamic Republic of Iran for 36 years before being killed on the opening day of the military strikes targeting Tehran.