Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has praised Pakistan’s role in regional diplomacy, saying the bond between Pakistan and Iran is built on mutual trust and affection.
In an exclusive interview with a Pakistani TV Channel, Baghaei said the goodwill between the two neighbouring countries is reciprocal, adding that Iran would never have accepted Pakistan’s mediation had such trust not existed.
He thanked the government and people of Pakistan for the role they played, describing their efforts as highly valued by Tehran.
Baghaei further said that the longstanding friendship and mutual affection between Pakistan and Iran remain strong and will continue to endure in the years ahead.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, on Friday arrived in Tehran with a high-level Pakistani delegation to attend the funeral ceremony of Iran’s Supreme Leader, martyred Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Upon their arrival at the Grand Imam Khomeini Shrine in Tehran, the delegation was warmly received by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
The Pakistani leadership also met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the shrine and expressed their profound sorrow and condolences over the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and members of the delegation offered Fateha for the late Supreme Leader and paid tribute to his services to the Muslim Ummah. During the visit, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also held a separate meeting with Iran’s Minister of Defence.
The high-level delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. A parliamentary delegation, led by Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, also attended the funeral ceremony along with other members of Parliament.
Read more: PM Shehbaz leaves for Türkiye, FM Asim Munir returns home after Iran’s visit
