Prince Karim Aga Khan Dies at 88: The spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, Prince Karim Aga Khan, dies at the age of 88 in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family. He was the 49th Imam of 15 million Ismailis around the world. The philanthropist billionaire prince was respected all around the world for his continuous efforts to eradicate poverty and his projects for the cause. His activities were not restricted to one part of the world, but he served around the globe; be it in Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, or Europe, he never backed down from serving the community. He built schools in Africa and created employment in Third World countries. He contributed to medical facilities in war-torn Afghanistan and flew to Pakistan when it was devastated by the 2005 earthquake. The message of peace and love that he promoted wherever he went earned him the respect of every community and culture that would be remembered.
The founder and the chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, whose establishment is for the betterment of the underserved areas of the world, whether it is related to education or health care. During his tenure as Imam, as a spiritual leader of this community, he saw many ups and downs. Prince Karim Aga Khan was declared the 49th Imam in 1957. If we talk about Pakistan, Prince Karim Aga Khan has tried to help Pakistan in many ways. Here too, the Aga Khan Development Network is very effective; it works for poverty alleviation, especially if we look at creating economic opportunities in historical sites, importing people with skills, whether it is in the field of hospitality or various other methods. Today, the Aga Khan Education Network Aga Khan Hospital has emerged as a benchmark in itself. It is also said that just as the Aga Khan University Hospital is serving in higher education, similarly, his intention was that a liberal arts college should also be built here. He dedicated his life to improving the lives of the poor. He established the Aga Khan Development Network, under which more than 200 agencies and institutions are working. Prince Karim Aga Khan was a great friend of mankind and one of the richest people in the world. The network established by him has an annual budget of about 600 million US dollars, and he has certainly played a great role in the development of Pakistan. Along with this, if we look at the world, it is believed that the Ismaili community is one of the most progressive and committed communities, and it should be said that they are counted among the most respected communities.