Farewell: HH Aga Khan

Pakistan has lost a true friend with the passing of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community. His legacy, defined by humanitarianism, inclusivity, and human development, will continue to inspire generations.

The Aga Khan’s bond with Pakistan has been a special one and is deeply rooted in history. His ancestors played a pivotal role in championing the cause of Pakistan, offering political and intellectual momentum that contributed to its creation. But beyond this historical connection, his contributions were transformational, particularly in Pakistan’s most neglected regions, of which I am a beneficiary.

It is precisely for this reason that the more I reflect on the life and contributions of Aga Khan, the more they feel deeply personal. On Tuesday, as I rode my bicycle toward my university in Manchester, England, where I am pursuing a PhD, I could not stop thinking about the crucial opportunities provided by his network that shaped my life in Gilgit-Baltistan, where I grew up.

Like many other families in the north, education was always seen as the only path forward in my household, yet opportunities were scarce, and government schools in my native village of Yasin offered little. Fortunately, we lived in a region that had witnessed rapid intervention by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

I was admitted to the Diamond Jubilee (DJ) High School in Yasin and later to the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School in Gilgit. Both institutions stood apart from government-run and other privately run schools.

They provided modern infrastructure, trained teachers, and a teaching philosophy that emphasised self-discovery, leadership and critical thinking. By the region’s standards, these schools felt elite, yet they remained relatively affordable.

The Aga Khan’s life is an epic story of impact-driven leadership with a focus on championing inclusivity. From the valleys of Hunza to Ghizer, his vision for development was groundbreaking – something reflected in annual national human development indicators. He introduced innovative models of rural progress, focusing on resilience, adaptability, and sustainability.

Through AKDN, he spearheaded projects in education, healthcare, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation. He built bridges across cultural and religious divides, advocating for pluralism and shared progress. His philosophy offers a crucial lesson for Pakistan and the world: true development is only possible through tolerance, cooperation, and a commitment to collective prosperity.

As we bid farewell to His Highness Aga Khan and his successor takes the reins, there is hope that the foundations he laid in northern Pakistan will be expanded to all communities across the region and development will not be pursued in isolation. The onus is equally on the other communities to seek inspiration and develop a thrust to benefit from the ecosystem developed by the AKDN.

A truly prosperous future of the Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral region lies in embracing his vision: one that fosters growth for all, irrespective of belief or background.

The writer is a lawyer from Gilgit currently pursuing a PhD from the University of Manchester. He tweets/posts @miryasirabbas and can be reached at: yasir.bui@gmail.com