By Pervaiz Mughal
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif hosted a special breakfast reception in Islamabad on Thursday in honour of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, marking his first official visit to Pakistan.
The gathering was presented as a moment of continuity in a long-standing relationship between the state and the Aga Khan family, rooted in development cooperation, philanthropy and institutional support across key social sectors.
The Prime Minister welcomed the prospect of expanded collaboration with the Aga Khan University, praising its sustained contribution to medical education, research and healthcare delivery in the country.
He noted that the institution had played a particularly important role in strengthening professional standards in health services while also widening access to higher education for Pakistani students over several decades.
Shehbaz Sharif also acknowledged the broader work of the Aga Khan Development Network, highlighting its long-running engagement in some of Pakistan’s most geographically challenging regions, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. He commended the network’s development footprint in remote communities where infrastructure gaps and limited public services have historically constrained opportunities.
During the reception, the Prime Minister expressed his condolences to Prince Rahim Aga Khan over the death of his father, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, reflecting on what he described as a nearly seven-decade association with Pakistan. He paid tribute to the late spiritual leader’s humanitarian legacy, particularly his emphasis on education, health, and community development as instruments of social progress.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan, a senior figure within the Aga Khan family, was welcomed as part of a tradition of continued engagement between the Ismaili leadership and Pakistan’s development institutions.
