Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic death of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash.
In their separate statements, the President and the Prime Minister extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the Iranian President, the Foreign Minister, and others who lost their lives in the accident.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to President Raisi’s dedicated services to the Muslim Ummah, highlighting his steadfast advocacy for the unity of Muslim Ummah.
He emphasized that the Islamic World has lost a remarkable leader who always supported Muslim cause and deeply felt the sufferings of the Muslims globally, particularly the Palestinian and Kashmiri people.
President Zardari described Raisi’s passing as a great loss not only for Iran but for the entire Muslim Ummah.
In a post on his X handle, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said both the Iranian President and the Foreign Minister were good friends of Pakistan.
He said 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 the Iranian people.
Shehbaz Sharif said the great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage.
Raisi and the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian died in a helicopter crash, the state media confirmed on Monday.
Iran’s Mehr news agency confirmed the deaths, reporting that “all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred”.
“The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, had an accident while serving and performing his duty for the people of Iran and was martyred,” Mehr said as other media outlets also reported the news.
State TV reported that images from the site showed the aircraft slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash.
Rescue teams fought blizzards and difficult terrain through the night to reach the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province in the early hours of Monday.