Pakistani Premier Sharif to attend Khamenei's funeral

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Iran on Friday to attend the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Foreign Office’s weekly briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Sharif will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, members of the federal cabinet, and other senior government officials.

According to Andrabi, Sharif will participate in Khamenei’s funeral ceremony and convey condolences on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families.

The prime minister is also expected to reaffirm Pakistan’s solidarity with what Andrabi described as the “brotherly nation” during a period of national mourning.

Separately, Afghanistan will be represented by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, as well as Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, according to Kabul-based Tolo news.

Preparations are underway at Tehran’s Mosalla Mosque, the capital’s main prayer site, for Khamenei’s funeral ceremony. Public funeral rites are scheduled to begin on Saturday, with mourners gathering from 6 a.m. local time (0230GMT) to observe a minute of silence and offer condolences.

Iranian authorities plan to bury Khamenei on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Khamenei was targeted in a joint US-Israeli strike at the outset of the war that began on Feb. 28. More than 3,300 people, including schoolchildren, were killed in the ensuing US-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes by Tehran across the Middle East.

The fighting ended on April 8 after Pakistan helped secure a ceasefire. An initial memorandum was signed in June, while mediators, including Qatar, continue efforts to broker a final agreement.