Prince Rahim Aga Khan departs Pakistan after week-long visit

ISLAMABAD: Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan concluded a week-long visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, wrapping up a series of official engagements and community visits aimed at strengthening ties between Pakistan and the Aga Khan Development Network.

Prince Rahim, the 50th hereditary Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims, departed from Islamabad’s Nur Khan Airbase, where Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and other senior Pakistani officials saw him off and presented him with a commemorative photo album highlighting key moments from his visit across the country.

The visit, which began on May 20, included meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, as well as visits to northern regions including Hunza, Gojal, Ghizer and Chitral.

During the tour, Prince Rahim gave “Didar” to members of the Ismaili community and reviewed development projects supported by AKDN in areas such as education, healthcare, rural development and community welfare.

At the farewell ceremony, Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry praised AKDN’s longstanding role in Pakistan’s social and economic development.

He said the network’s initiatives in education, health services and community support had contributed significantly to improving living standards in various parts of the country.

“The government of Pakistan highly values the welfare, educational and economic initiatives undertaken by AKDN,” Chaudhry said.

He expressed confidence that Prince Rahim’s visit would further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and AKDN and create new opportunities for collaboration in development and humanitarian projects.

Officials described the partnership between Pakistan and AKDN as an important component of sustainable development efforts, particularly in underserved and remote regions.

AKDN is regarded as one of Pakistan’s major development partners, with projects spanning healthcare, education, cultural preservation, disaster management and rural support programmes across the country.