ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Iran today to offer condolences for the tragic deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who died in a helicopter crash last week. The Foreign Office announced that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior cabinet ministers will accompany PM Shehbaz. During his visit, he will meet Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and interim President Mohammad Mokhber to extend condolences on behalf of Pakistan.
The crash occurred as Raisi and other officials were returning from a dam inauguration near the Azerbaijan border, and their helicopter went down in poor weather conditions in the mountains of East Azerbaijan province. The wreckage was discovered early Monday after a challenging overnight search in blizzard conditions.
In response to the tragedy, Khamenei declared a five-day mourning period and appointed Mokhber as interim president, with instructions to organize a new presidential election within 50 days, in accordance with Iran’s constitution. Iran has initiated an investigation into the crash, led by a committee appointed by Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri, with findings to be made public. The funeral procession for President Raisi was held on Tuesday.
