PM Shehbaz to attend new Iranian president’s inauguration ceremony in Tehran

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is due to travel to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iranian president-elect Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, who won the Islamic Republic’s presidential run-off election earlier this month.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced the trip during her weekly press briefing on Thursday.

“At the invitation of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Muhammad Baghir Ghalibaf, the prime minister […] will visit Tehran on July 30 to attend the inauguration ceremony of the President-Elect of Iran, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian,” she said.

“The visit attests to the commitment by the two countries to strengthen leadership-level engagement and bilateral cooperation.”

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon known to be relatively moderate, was elected as the president on June 28. The election was called after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May.

Following Pezeshkian’s victory, President Asif Ali Zardari had congratulated the newly elected president in a post on X. “Pakistan and Iran enjoy fraternal ties & I hope that under your leadership our relations will grow further stronger,” he said.

“Looking forward to working together for the peace and prosperity of the region,” he added.

PM Shehbaz had also felicitated Pezeshkian and said that as neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Iran enjoy a close and historic relationship.

“We must ensure a bright future for our two peoples through mutually beneficial cooperation,” he posted on X.

Security of diplomatic missions

While responding to questions from reporters, the spokesperson said that the FO has been in contact with German authorities regarding the attack on the consulate in Frankfurt.

Earlier this week, “a gang of extremists” — reportedly Afghan nationals — allegedly threw stones at the building and even tore down the Pakistani flag.

“We have urged them (German authorities) to ensure the security of the Pakistani mission,” Baloch said.

The FO, she added, had requested that the suspects be arrested and prosecuted swiftly, echoing a statement from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar requesting the same.

Moreover, the spokesperson said that the FO will launch an investigation into the security lapse at the consulate in Frankfurt.