PM Sharif, COAS Munir participate in funeral ceremony for late Khamenei

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other Pakistani leaders participated in the pre-funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

PM Sharif and other Pakistani leaders landed in Tehran to attend the funeral ceremony.

Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir earlier landed in Tehran where he was received by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also reached the Iranian capital ahead of the funeral to pay his respects to the slain leader.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz was received at Mehrabad Airport by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, and senior diplomatic officials from both countries.

The prime minister conveyed the condolences of the government and people of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families. He also expected to reaffirm Pakistan’s solidarity with the people of Iran during their time of mourning.

PM Shehbaz is accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Bilawal Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other parliamentarians.

Khamenei, who led Iran as supreme leader for 37 years, was killed at the age of 86 in missile strikes on his residential and office compound in central Tehran on February 28, the first day of the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel alliance. Several members of his family, including his daughter and two grandchildren, were also reportedly killed.

His funeral, initially planned for early March, was postponed due to the conflict and was only rescheduled after a fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington took effect. Head of the organising committee, Ali-Akbar Purdjamschidian, said the six-day funeral was intended to “strengthen national cohesion and unity” across Iran’s political, religious and social groups.

Following the funeral ceremonies in Tehran, the prime minister will depart for Istanbul to begin his bilateral visit to Türkiye.