SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti flew from New Delhi to Tehran on Thursday evening to attend funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from July 4, becoming the only non-Shia politician from J&K and Ladakh invited by Iran.PDP representative Waheed Parra said Tehran had arranged a special aircraft for the former J&K CM and other guests as commercial flights to Iran remain suspended.Among others invited are National Conference MP and Shia politician Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, Peoples Conference representative and All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association president Imran Reza Ansari, Shia religious functionaries Aga Syed Hassan Al-Mousawi Al-Safavi, Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, Ladakh Congress president Asgar Ali Karabali and Kargil Democratic Alliance functionary Sajjad Kargili.“It is an honour to attend the funeral… I thank Iranian govt for arranging a special flight for me and my brother,” Ansari said after reaching Tehran.Several invitees stayed back, including NC MP Ruhullah and Ladakh politicians. MP Haneefa said he, Kargili and Karbali decided not to go because of the next round of talks between Ladakh functionaries and Union home ministry in Leh on Friday.Shia cleric Al-Safavi, long associated with Hurriyat Conference, was not permitted to travel and his passport was seized at New Delhi airport, his son and PDP legislator Aga Muntazir Mehdi said.Khamenei’s killing on Feb 28 triggered widespread protests across Kashmir. He will be accorded a delayed state funeral across Iran and Iraq before his burial in his birthplace of Mashhad on July 9.In his invitation, Iran’s director of international relations Mohsen Qummi wrote: “In light of the profound historical and strategic ties that bind the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of India, I consider it a great honour to invite… Your presence would serve as a testament to the deep-rooted friendship and mutual respect between our two great civilisations.”
