Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, congratulated him on his appointment and voiced optimism that he would lead the country towards “peace, stability, and prosperity”.
A day earlier, Iran’s Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader, after the former supreme leader was assassinated in US-Israeli coordinated strikes on Iran.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the premier, in his letter, congratulated the newly-appointed leader and offered “condolences on the martyrdom of his revered father, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei”.
PM Shehbaz noted that the martyrdom of the former supreme leader had “deeply saddened the people of Pakistan, who stand in solidarity with the leadership and people of Iran during this difficult time”.
He expressed faith that the new supreme leader would guide his country “towards peace, stability, dignity and prosperity in the years ahead”.
In his letter, the prime minister highlighted Pakistan and Iran’s bilateral relations, which he said were “anchored in shared faith, history, culture and language”.
He voiced readiness to continue to work “closely” with Iran and “further strengthen bilateral cooperation across all spheres of mutual interest for the benefit of the two brotherly peoples”.
PM Shehbaz, in his letter to the Iranian leader, prayed for his “good health, well-being, and success” for “peace, stability and prosperity for the brotherly people of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
The premier also congratulated the Iranian leader in a post on X, saying, “I congratulate his eminence Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on his assumption of the responsibilities of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
