PA suspends agenda to condole Iranian president’s death

The Sindh Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution to condole the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

The first sitting of the new pre-budget session of the Sindh Assembly suspended its proceedings as per the published agenda for the day to present the condolence resolution and hold discussion on it. The house also observed one-minute silence to mourn the death of the Iranian president.

Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar presented the resolution that mentioned that the House expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and shared the grief of the bereaved families.

It mentioned that there had been longstanding bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran on religious and cultural grounds, and Iran was one of the first countries that recognised Pakistan after it came into being on August 14, 1947.

The lawmakers both on the treasury and opposition benches spoke on the resolution. Taking part in the discussion, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the tragic helicopter crash incident resulting in the death of the Iranian president was a tragedy for the entire Muslim world.

He said the people and government of Sindh stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their Iranian brethren to share their tragic loss. The CM recalled that the late Iranian president had visited Karachi just last month as part of his official visit to Pakistan and he was the first head of state who visited Sindh’s capital after a long time.

Shah said that it was an honour for him to host the visiting Iranian president at the Chief Minister House. He added that the Iranian president had attended the prolonged proceedings of the reception held for him at the CM House despite the fact that he had been too tired due to his hectic schedule.

The chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also met the Iranian president during his visit, the CM said. He told the House that his government had to announce a public holiday on the day of the Iranian president’s visit to Karachi because Iranian intelligence agencies had alerted the provincial authorities that an attack could occur on him.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon mentioned that a number of bilateral agreements had been signed between Iran and Pakistan during the recent visit of the late Raisi. He recalled that Pakistan had also signed an accord with Iran for laying a gas pipeline between the two countries.

The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Ali Khursheedi, praised the role of the late Iranian president in maintaining regional peace. He said that Pakistan had always enjoyed exemplary cordial relations with Iran.