Pakistan on Wednesday vehemently condemned the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, expressing profound shock and concern over the timing and nature of the attack.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a spokesperson asserted, “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings irrespective of the motives.” The statement extended heartfelt condolences to Haniyeh’s family and the Palestinian people.
The Ministry highlighted the unfortunate timing of the attack, which coincided with the inauguration of Iran’s new president, an event attended by several international dignitaries, including Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister. “We are deeply shocked by the timing of this reckless act, coinciding with the inauguration of the President of Iran,” the statement read.
Pakistan called out Israel for the assassination, labeling it a concerning escalation. “Pakistan views with serious concern the growing Israeli adventurism in the region,” the Ministry stated. “Its latest acts constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and undermine efforts for peace.”
Haniyeh, a prominent leader of the Palestinian resistance movement, was in Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the reformist president, Masoud Pezeshkian. He was killed at his residence in Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a statement that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence in Tehran was targeted. According to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, Haniyeh’s residence was struck by an air-borne guided projectile around 2 am local time, resulting in his death.
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