Pakistan Receives Aga Khan V In Historic State Welcome

ISLAMABAD, May 20, 2026 His Highness Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for a six-day official visit to Pakistan, marking his first trip to the country since assuming the Imamat in February 2025.

President Asif Ali Zardari received Prince Rahim at Noor Khan Airbase near Islamabad, where First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was also present. Children dressed in traditional attire presented flowers, while senior Pakistani officials attended the reception. The visit, scheduled from May 20 to May 26, includes official engagements in Islamabad and community gatherings in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.

The Presidency said Prince Rahim was later presented with a guard of honour at Aiwan-e-Sadr, where the national anthem was played. President Zardari also hosted a banquet in his honour, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal and Chief of Defence Forces Syed Asim Munir, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, federal ministers, parliamentarians and members of the diplomatic community.

During talks at the Presidency, Pakistani officials praised the Aga Khan Development Network, known as AKDN, for its long-standing work in healthcare, education, community development, climate resilience and heritage conservation. Prince Rahim reaffirmed AKDN's continued commitment to humanitarian and development initiatives in Pakistan.

The visit is historic for Pakistan's Ismaili community, particularly in the northern regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, where large numbers of Ismaili Muslims live. It is the first formal visit to Pakistan by Prince Rahim since he succeeded his father, the late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who died in Lisbon on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88. Prince Rahim was named the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims shortly afterward.

For Ismailis, the visit carries deep spiritual significance. The central religious component of the journey is a series of Didar gatherings, where members of the community gather to see and receive guidance from the Imam. Community-linked reporting says Didar gatherings are planned in locations including Taus, Gupis, Passu, Hunza, Gahkuch, Parwak Lasht in Upper Chitral and Gilgit city.

Passu in Hunza holds particular emotional importance. According to community coverage, the town is hosting a Didar of the Imam-of-the-Time for the first time in 44 years. Preparations there included the construction of helipads, access routes and a special reception area, while volunteers across the region worked for weeks to prepare roads, gathering spaces and community facilities.

Across Passu, Hunza, Gilgit, Gahkuch, Taus and parts of Chitral, local communities decorated roads, built welcome gates and organised volunteer teams to support security, transport, accommodation and access for attendees. Local reports also said special arrangements were being made for persons with disabilities so they could participate safely in the gatherings.

Beyond its religious significance, the visit is also a diplomatic and development event. AKDN has maintained a major presence in Pakistan for decades, especially in remote mountain regions where access to public services has often been limited by geography, poverty, climate vulnerability and weak infrastructure. Its work in Pakistan includes health, education, rural development, microfinance, cultural restoration, disaster preparedness, renewable energy and community-led development.

Globally, AKDN describes itself as a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for vulnerable communities, regardless of faith, origin or gender. The network says it provides healthcare to more than 14 million people each year and reaches more than two million learners annually through its education initiatives.

Prince Rahim's current visit follows a major state recognition in 2024. On June 7, 2024, President Zardari conferred on him the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the country's highest civilian honour, in recognition of his contributions to Pakistan and his leadership within AKDN, including in environmental and climate-related work.

The Aga Khan family's relationship with Pakistan predates the creation of the country itself. Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, born in Karachi in 1877, was one of the most prominent Muslim political figures of British India. He was associated with the early development of the All-India Muslim League, founded in 1906, and became one of the leading advocates for Muslim political representation in the subcontinent. He also served as President of the League of Nations Assembly from 1937 to 1938, placing him among the most internationally recognised Muslim statesmen of the 20th century.

Aga Khan III's political legacy remains especially important in Pakistan because of his role in Muslim political mobilisation before partition. He was associated with the Simla Deputation of 1906, which pressed the British authorities to recognise Muslims of India as a distinct political community requiring separate representation. That political argument later became part of the broader constitutional debate that shaped the demand for Pakistan.

The relationship also includes a strategic chapter linked to Gwadar. Historical accounts widely cited in Pakistani and Ismaili sources state that Pakistan acquired Gwadar from the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman in 1958, before it was incorporated into Pakistan later that year. Some accounts credit Prince Karim Aga Khan IV with helping provide financial support for the purchase, though this claim is best presented with attribution because available public documentation varies in detail. Gwadar is now central to Pakistan's maritime strategy and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The visit also has wider regional relevance because Ismaili communities remain spread across South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. In Afghanistan, Ismailis are a small Shia Muslim minority concentrated in areas including Badakhshan, Bamyan, Baghlan, Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, several rights organisations have reported increased pressure on religious minorities, including Shia Muslims and Ismailis.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported in 2024 that 15 Ismailis were detained in Badakhshan and accused of links to anti-Taliban armed groups. Rights groups have also reported incidents of coercion, intimidation and pressure on Ismaili communities in parts of northern Afghanistan.

The humanitarian dimension of the Aga Khan institutions is also significant for Afghan Ismailis and other displaced communities. Focus Humanitarian Assistance Canada, an AKDN affiliate, says that since the 1990s it has worked with the Government of Canada to resettle nearly 10,000 Afghan refugees, along with a smaller number from Kosovo.

Canada's broader Afghan resettlement programme has expanded sharply since 2021. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reported that more than 55,000 Afghans had arrived in Canada under special immigration and humanitarian pathways by late 2024. That figure is not limited to Ismailis, but it reflects the scale of displacement caused by decades of war, political instability and the Taliban's return to power.

For Pakistan, Prince Rahim's visit renews a partnership that touches several areas of national importance. In Islamabad, it reinforces the state's relationship with the Ismaili Imamat and AKDN. In Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, it carries religious meaning for communities that have waited years for a visit by the Imam. For development institutions, it highlights the continuing importance of long-term investment in remote and underserved mountain regions.

The visit also comes at a time when northern Pakistan faces growing climate and disaster risks. Glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, limited road access, energy shortages and healthcare gaps remain serious concerns in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. AKDN agencies have been active in disaster preparedness, community resilience and rural development in these regions, making the visit relevant not only to the Ismaili community but also to Pakistan's broader development agenda.

Prince Rahim's first official Pakistan visit as Aga Khan V is therefore more than a ceremonial journey. It is a spiritual milestone for Ismailis, a diplomatic engagement with the Pakistani state, and a reminder of the Aga Khan family's long historical connection with the country. It also signals continuity at a moment of transition, as the 50th Imam begins his leadership of a global community whose institutions remain deeply involved in humanitarian, educational and development work across some of the world's most fragile regions.

The visit is expected to conclude on May 26. Community-linked reports suggest that a future visit may include meetings with Ismaili communities in central and southern Pakistan, including Karachi.

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