Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Tehran on Friday for a one-day visit to attend the funeral ceremony of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

PM Shehbaz is heading a high-level delegation comprising National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and parliamentarians.

He was received at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Imran Ahmed Siddiqui and senior diplomatic officials from both countries.

During his stay, PM will participate in the funeral rites of the late Iranian leader and, on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan, convey condolences to the Iranian leadership and bereaved families, reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with Iran.

Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had earlier arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said delegations from nearly 100 countries, including civil society groups and public figures, were participating in the state funeral.

After concluding his engagements in Tehran, the PM will travel to Istanbul on a bilateral visit to Turkiye at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

During the visit, he will hold meetings with the Turkish leadership and address a business conference hosted by Pakistan to highlight investment opportunities in the country’s Special Economic Zones, energy, information technology, trade and privatisation sectors.