Pakistan PM Sharif, delegates from China, Russia and India to attend Khamenei’s funeral

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the funeral in person following visits to Iran and Turkey from July 3-5.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Representatives from Pakistan, India, China and Russia are traveling to Iran for the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with ceremonies beginning July 3 ahead of his burial on July 9 after his funeral was delayed during the military conflict.

Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on Feb. 28. Iranian authorities are preparing for an estimated 10 million mourners across four cities as the funeral events take place over several days.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in remarks carried by state media that “dignitaries, heads of state, parliament speakers, foreign ministers or special envoys” from about 100 countries are expected to attend a Friday afternoon ceremony before a cross-country funeral procession.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the funeral in person following a visit to Iran and Turkey from July 3-5.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters on Thursday: “Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, will go to Iran and Turkey from 3-5 July… he will go to Iran first for (the) supreme leader’s funeral.”

Russia, China and India were personally invited by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Times of India reported that Sharif is one of the prime ministers expected to attend, while most other countries are sending senior representatives.

China announced that He Wei, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislative body, will attend as President Xi Jinping’s special representative.

Russia is sending former President and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev as President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to the state funeral.

India said Thursday that Bihar Gov. Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will represent the country during a visit to Iran on July 3.

In a statement, India’s foreign ministry said: “The high-level representation in the ceremony underscores the importance of civilizational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and ‌economic ⁠engagements.”