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Bihar Governor Hasnain and Minister of State Margherita likely to represent India at Khamenei’s funeral
Iranian sources said the two officials would represent New Delhi at ceremonies expected to draw up to 20 million mourners, according to organizers.
On July 4 and 5, Iranian authorities will hold public farewell and funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Prayer Grounds.
Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, prompting the appointment of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader.
Planning for the 48-hour event anticipates between 12 million and 15 million participants, with some assessments suggesting the turnout could reach as high as 20 million, according to Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh.
India will send Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita to represent the government, while a Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also plans to attend.
A central procession will move through the capital on Monday, July 6, before the body travels to Qom on July 7, then to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, before final interment in Mashhad on July 9.
The ceremonies in honour of the Iranian Supreme Leader, killed on the first day of the war launched by the United States and Iran, will begin on Saturday, July 4, and will last six days. Between 15 and 20 million people are expected in the capital.