Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif declared a day of mourning after Iranian media reported that president Ebrahim Raisi had died in a helicopter crash.
“Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half mast as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions and in solidarity with Brotherly Iran,” Shahbaz posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“I along with the government and people of Pakistan extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation on this terrible loss,” he added.
“The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage.”
Later during the day, Shahbaz visited the embassy of Iran in Islamabad to condole the deaths of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a tragic incident on Sunday.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of the martyrdom of my brother, President of Iran, Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a helicopter crash,” the prime minister said during his visit.
A car (L) carrying Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, drives past Pakistan’s national flag at half mast atop the Parliament House in honour of Ebrahim Raisi. AFP
He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this time of sorrow and grief.
“Our sympathies and prayers are with the family members of the martyrs and the people of Iran.”
The prime minister said Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi was a brilliant scholar and a visionary leader. “Today, Pakistan has lost a friend like Dr Raisi, a sincere brother with high qualities.”
PM Shahbaz said that his services to his own nation as well as to the strengthening of Pakistan-Iran relations and regional cooperation would always be remembered. He said President Raisi’s visit to Pakistan last month helped further strengthen bilateral relations. May Allah grant the departed souls a high place in paradise, the prime minister prayed.
Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam thanked Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Pakistani nation for standing with his country during the difficult time.
Shiite students pay tribute to Ebrahim Raisi during a condolence ceremony at the Iran Culture Centre in Karachi. AFP
Dr Raisi also considered Shahbaz Sharif as the best human being and a friend of Iran, he remarked. He said he respected the sentiments and words of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the late President Raisi.
The late President Raisi’s vision of strengthening and promoting Pakistan-Iran relations would continue, the ambassador said. The prime minister also recorded his condolence message in the condolence book.
The Pakistani leader hosted Raisi in Islamabad for a three-day visit in April in a bid to mend ties between the neighbours after they traded deadly strikes earlier this year.
Agencies
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