Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday attended a memorial ceremony in Tehran for the late Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi and his colleagues, who tragically died in a helicopter crash on May 19.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz visited the hall where the late president’s body was laid and offered prayers for his soul, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
He paid tribute to President Raisi’s contributions to the progress and prosperity of the Iranian people, the enhancement of Pakistan-Iran relations, and his services to the region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz extended condolences on behalf of the Pakistani government and people to Iran's Acting President Dr Mohammad Mokhber.
“The government and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the martyrdom of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s President Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian, and their colleagues,” said the prime minister. “We express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Iran during this time of sorrow,” he added.
“Our sympathies are with the families of the martyrs and the Iranian nation. The entire Pakistani nation stands with our brotherly country, Iran, in this moment of grief.”
Also read: Tens of thousands gather in Tehran as Raisi's funeral prayers held
Prime Minister Shehbaz also reminisced about President Raisi’s recent visit to Pakistan, highlighting the memorable moments shared with the Pakistani people. “The late Iranian president was a great friend of Pakistan. The moments he spent with the Pakistani people during his visit last month will always be remembered,” he said.
The prime minister expressed his best wishes for Iran’s acting.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz at the ceremony.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister arrived in Tehran for a daylong visit. Upon his arrival at Tehran International Airport, he was received by the Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash.
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During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to call on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Acting President Dr Mohammad Mokhber to convey condolences on behalf of the people and Government of Pakistan.
Huge crowds of Iranians thronged the streets of the capital Tehran on Wednesday for the funeral procession of Raisi and his entourage. In the city centre, mourners clutching portraits of Raisi gathered in and around the University of Tehran, where Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the prayers.
Flanked by top officials, Ayatollah Khamenei said prayers over the coffins of the dead, who also included Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
The leader of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, joined the procession, as did the deputy leader of the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem.
Raisi's helicopter crashed into a fog-shrouded mountainside in northwestern Iran on Sunday as he headed back to the city of Tabriz after attending a ceremony on the border with Azerbaijan.
A huge search and rescue operation was launched, involving help from Turkey, Russia and the European Union. State television announced Raisi's death early on Monday.
Raisi, who was widely expected to succeed Khamenei as supreme leader, was 63.
Funeral rites for Raisi and his entourage began on Tuesday with processions through Tabriz and Qom drawing tens of thousands of black-clad mourners.
From Tehran, the bodies will be taken to Iran's second city of Mashhad, Raisi's hometown in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites at the Imam Reza shrine.
(With input from AFP and APP)
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
