ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Tehran on Friday to participate in the funeral prayers of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi announced during a weekly media briefing.
The prime minister will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with other federal cabinet members. According to Andrabi, the visit reflects Pakistan’s solidarity with Iran during its time of mourning.
Ayatollah Khamenei was killed on February 28 during Israeli and US strikes on Iran. His funeral prayers are scheduled for July 4 in Tehran, while his burial will take place on July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad.
Following the Iran visit, PM Shehbaz will head to Turkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During the trip, he is expected to address a business conference in Istanbul.
US-Iran dialogue
Commenting on the ongoing indirect talks between Washington and Tehran in Doha, Andrabi said Pakistani mediators held separate meetings with both delegations, resulting in encouraging progress on several provisions of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
He said both sides agreed to continue negotiations and convene another round of talks soon, adding that Pakistan, together with Qatar, would continue facilitating the dialogue.
The spokesperson also noted that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar remained in contact with senior officials from Saudi Arabia, China, Bahrain, Iran, the United Kingdom and the European Union on regional developments.
Protest lodged with Afghanistan
Addressing the recent attack on a Pakistan Rangers camp in Karachi, Andrabi said Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires was summoned to receive Pakistan’s formal protest, while Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul delivered a protest note to the Afghan Foreign Ministry.
According to the military, three Rangers personnel were martyred and four others injured when militants linked to the Indian-backed Jamaat-ul-Ahrar attacked the camp. Security forces killed three attackers and arrested an injured Afghan national.
Andrabi said available evidence pointed to the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities inside Pakistan and expressed concern over the use of Afghan territory for such attacks. He added that action would be taken against Afghan citizens residing in Pakistan without valid visas or legal status.
Indus Waters Treaty
Referring to an international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty held in Islamabad, the spokesperson said participants stressed the need to uphold the agreement and resolve disputes through diplomacy.
He reiterated Pakistan’s rejection of India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty, warning that using shared water resources as a political tool could seriously threaten regional peace and stability.
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