ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN –
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday praised the wisdom and visionary leadership of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, saying his legacy will be remembered for generations.
In a post on X, Sharif said he paid his respects and conveyed the deepest condolences of the Pakistani government and people to the Iranian government and the brotherly people of Iran during the funeral ceremonies in Tehran.
“The late Supreme Leader’s wisdom, leadership and profound influence on Iran and the wider region will be remembered for generations,” Sharif wrote. “As a brotherly neighbor, Pakistan stands with Iran in this time of grief,” he added.
Sharif led a high-level delegation to Tehran to demonstrate Pakistan’s solidarity with the Iranian people. The delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
A parliamentary delegation led by Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also attended the funeral alongside the prime minister.
Field Marshal Munir, who serves as Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces, had arrived in Tehran separately to attend the funeral ceremonies.
He was received at the airport by Iranian officials.
The Pakistani embassy in Tehran said in a statement that Sharif, at the invitation of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, attended the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Khamenei.
“On this solemn occasion, the prime minister recalled the lasting contributions of the late Supreme Leader to Islam. He paid rich tribute to the late Supreme Leader, who guided the Iranian nation for decades with remarkable wisdom and sagacity,” the embassy said.
Sharif expressed full solidarity with new Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, and President Pezeshkian.
Pakistan played a key role in brokering the ceasefire between Iran and the United States following the U.S.-Israeli aggression against Iran on February 28. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed by President Pezeshkian and U.S. President
In a meeting with Field Marshal Munir, Iran’s acting Defense Minister Brigadier General Majid Ibn Reza warned that any violation of the Islamabad memorandum would trigger a “necessary and strong” response from Tehran.
Despite Iran’s long experience with U.S. lack of commitments, Ibn Reza said Tehran signed the memorandum at the request of friendly countries to prove its goodwill, adding that “any violation of the ceasefire will be met with the necessary and strong response of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
Ibn Reza emphasized that Israel remains the root cause of insecurity in the region and urged Muslim countries to adopt a coordinated approach to counter the common threat.
“The recent war once again proved the ineffectiveness of the security system reliant on foreign powers and showed that sustainable security can only be achieved through understanding, cooperation, and synergy among regional countries,” he said.
The acting minister expressed Iran’s readiness to “open a new chapter of defense, security, and strategic cooperation” with Pakistan.
Field Marshal Munir, for his part, described defense cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad as steadily expanding and said both sides were determined to further strengthen military ties.
The funeral ceremonies in Tehran drew one of the largest gatherings of foreign dignitaries in Iran in recent decades, with representatives from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas attending. Iranian officials estimate that between 15 and 20 million mourners will take part in the week-long funeral processions.