Mehbooba Mufti to attend Ayatollah Khamenei's state funeral
What's the story
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti will attend the state funeral of Iran's slain supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The funeral will be held in Tehran from July 3-6. She received an official invitation for the event as a distinguished guest of India from Mohseen Qummi, Director of International Relations at the office of Iran's Supreme Leader.
Invitation response
'Immense honor, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'
Mufti expressed her gratitude for the invitation, calling it "an immense honor" and a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." She said she would travel to Iran to pay her last respects. The letter of invitation stated that Khamenei was killed on February 28 and a state funeral would be held in Tehran from July 3 to 6. "Your presence would serve as a testament to the deep-rooted friendship and mutual respect between our two great ancient civilizations," the letter addressed to Mufti said.
Ceremony details
Other opposition leaders also invited
The funeral program includes a farewell at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla Complex on July 3, a commemoration on July 4, and a funeral procession on July 6. He will be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza on July 9, following funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad. Iran has also reportedly invited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, and the party's media and publicity wing head Pawan Khera to attend the burial ceremonies.