PM Shehbaz to attend Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral in Iran, travel to Turkiye for high-level meetings: FO

Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake official visits to Iran and Turkiye from July 3 to 5, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi announced during the weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.

The FO spokesperson stated the prime minister will first travel to Iran to participate in a condolence ceremony held in honour of the martyred Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“During the visit, PM Shehbaz will convey Pakistan’s condolences and solidarity with the Iranian leadership and its people on behalf of the government and citizens of Pakistan,” he said.
After concluding his engagements in Iran, the prime minister will head to Istanbul at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The visit will include meetings with the Turkish leadership as well as prominent business leaders, with discussions aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation and expanding economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The FO spokesperson also pointed to encouraging developments in the Doha negotiations, saying Pakistan had once again played a supportive role in facilitating the dialogue. He added that the talks would resume after the funeral ceremonies of the Iranian leadership had concluded.

Speaking about the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Andrabi said participants at an international seminar held in Islamabad unanimously rejected any unilateral action concerning the long-standing water-sharing agreement between Pakistan and India.

He noted that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had reaffirmed Pakistan’s position that the treaty, which has been in force for more than six decades, cannot be revoked or altered by one side alone.

The FO spokesperson further remarked that the central issue between Pakistan and India was not terrorism but what he described as the Indian leadership’s mindset of attempting to use water as a political and strategic instrument.

On consular affairs, the spokesperson said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts had secured the release of 22 Iranian sailors. 
He added that, with Pakistan’s assistance, the total number of Iranian nationals repatriated had now reached 70.

Addressing security matters, Andrabi said Operation Ghazab Lil Haq against terrorist groups was continuing, stressing that Pakistan remained unwavering in its commitment to protecting the lives and security of its citizens.

The FO spokesperson said that Pakistan had issued a formal demarche to the Afghan chargé d’affaires on June 29 after an Afghan national was apprehended alive while carrying out a terrorist attack on a Rangers installation in Karachi.

Andrabi said Islamabad had conveyed its serious concerns to the Afghan authorities and reiterated that every necessary measure would be taken to safeguard the country's people.