AhlulBayt News Agency: The mayor of Mashhad says that all municipal, provincial, and national capacities have been mobilized to host the funeral and burial of the Martyred Leader of Islamic the Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with authorities anticipating the arrival of 10 to 12 million mourners in the city.
Mohammad Reza Qalandar Sharif told IRNA on Sunday that the event represents the most important occasion in Mashhad since the martyrdom of Imam Reza (AS), and that every effort must be made to hold the ceremony in a manner befitting the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
He said a provincial funeral headquarters, chaired by the governor, has been established with 30 specialized committees, while the municipality has operated its own nine-committee headquarters for the funeral of the martyred leader for more than two months, with all municipal resources fully mobilized and assistance extended to other institutions without reservation.
Regarding infrastructure, Qalandar Sharif said that while Mashhad has strong existing capacity in transportation and other sectors, the anticipated millions of attendees require special infrastructure, and that all necessary correspondence with the governor's office and relevant institutions has been completed.
He said all resources from cities across the province and designated support cities will be transferred to Mashhad, and that full readiness exists to hold this grand ceremony.
On accommodation, he said the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism holds primary responsibility, but that the municipality has activated all facilities from the final days of Safar month, preparing approximately 60,000 emergency accommodation sites along with full welfare and sanitation services across all city parks for temporary shelter.
He added that urban decoration of Mashhad was underway with content reflecting devotion to the guardianship of religious leadership and the procession of the Martyred Imam, in coordination with both provincial and central headquarters.
Qalandar Sharif emphasized that the safety of pilgrims and residents is the absolute red line for all responsible institutions, and that the necessary arrangements have been made to that end.
He noted that Mashhad will not be engaged with this ceremony for only 24 hours, but will receive pilgrims in the days prior, with planning in place to serve as a special host for pilgrims to the shrine of Imam Reza and for the martyred leader through the end of summer.
The mayor stressed that the route and procedures of the funeral procession of the martyred Leader must be finalized and concluded as quickly as possible.
According to announced plans, the funeral procession for Ayatollah Khamenei is scheduled for July 8 in Mashhad, where he and other martyred members of his family will be buried in the vicinity of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS).
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