Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the World Ismia Community, died on Tuesday, leaving his tens of millions of followers around the world in mourning, said the Diwan of Imamat Ismaili in a press release Wednesday.
According to the press release, Aga Khan IV died in Portugal from Lisbon, surrounded by his family, at the age of 88. He added that the eldest son of the late Aga Khan, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V would succeed as the next imam of the imam of the next imam of the Ismaili community.
“It is with great sadness that the Diwan of Imamat Ismaili announces that his Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary imam (spiritual leader) of Shiite Shiites Muslims and founder of the development network From Aga Khan, died peacefully in Lisbon, “he said.
“Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan V was appointed today the 50th hereditary imam (spiritual leader) of Shiite Shiite Muslims, following the non-compliance with the will of his late father, Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, “said Diwan, Diwan said Diwan, Diwan said Diwan” in a separate declaration.
According to declarations, Prince Karim was a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (PSL) through his daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima (AS), and Hazrat Ali (AS). He was the eldest son of Prince Aly Khan and Joan Warde-Buller, and grandson and successor to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III.
Born Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini on December 13, 1936 in Geneva, Aga Khan IV spent its early years in Nairobi, Kenya, but later returned to Switzerland, attending the exclusive school of Le Rosey before D ‘Going to the United States, securing an Islamic Islamic diploma, which obtained an Islamic Islamic diploma, which obtained a diploma in Islamic, Islamic Harvard History in 1959.
At the age of 20, when his grandfather, Sir Sultan, Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, died, he became the 49th Imam of the Ismaille community, whose members varied between 12 and 15 million in 35 countries of Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and North America.
Prince Karim was the fourth Aga Khan-the title derived from Turkish and Persian words to signify the commander chief-who was initially granted in the 1830s by the Emperor of Persian then to his great-great-grandfather, when The latter married the daughter of the emperor.
He founded Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in 1967 – a group of international development agencies which employs 80,000 people to serve communities in some of the most fragile and underdeveloped regions in the world.
Before embarking on horse racing, Aga Khan was already a passionate skier. In 1962, he participated in the world championships in Chamonix as a member of the British team, but two years later, he chose to compete in the Jean d’Innsbruck for Iran.
Besides Prince Rahim, he is survived by his other children – Princess Zahra, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad – as well as his brother Prince Amyn Muhammad, Princess Sister Yasmin and four grandchildren.
According to the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat, Aga Khan, throughout his life, stressed that “Islam is a thoughtful spiritual faith which teaches compassion and tolerance, and maintains the dignity of humanity” .
He added: “His Highness has devoted his life to the improvement of the state of life of his community and the peoples of the countries where they live, regardless of race, sex, ethnicity or religion. It was respected worldwide as a state man and defender of peace and human progress.
Condolences
The death of Aga Khan aroused condolences from afar, notably the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the United Nations, the best politicians in Canada and others. In their messages of condolences, they expressed a deep shock and a sadness in the face of his death.
President Aif Zardari, who is on an official visit to China, said in a statement that Pakistan had lost a great friend, who made great contributions to the elevation of the country’s social sector, in particular in health, the ‘Education and community development.
He called the disappearance of Prince Karim Aga Khan “a monumental loss”. The president expressed his greatest condolences to the Aga Khan family and the ISMAILLE world community on behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan.
The acting president, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, also exercised his condolences, qualifying Prince Karim Aga Khan a great humanitarian dedicated to peace and humanity. In his message of condolences, he recognized Aga Khan’s commitment to social protection, in particular in education and health care.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on his handle X, praised the visionary leadership of Prince Karim Aga Khan and his generosity. He underlined the sustainable heritage of Aga Khan, which transcended the borders and brought hope and progress in countless communities in need.
The Prime Minister’s office later said that the Minister of Finance, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, would represent Pakistan during the funeral of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. He said that instructions for the necessary coordination had been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a message on X, Vice-Prime Minister Ishaq Dar expressed deep sadness in the face of the death of Aga Khan, highlighting his immense philanthropic contributions worldwide. He underlined the special AGA Khan link with Pakistan and its unrivaled role in the development of the country.
The UN secretary general António Guterres also shared his pain on X, praising Aga Khan as a symbol of peace, tolerance and compassion. Guterres expressed condolences to the family of Aga Khan and the world community of Ismaies.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his admiration for AGA Khan’s dedication to the promotion of peace and prosperity. The winner of the Nobel Malala Yousafzai Prize has recognized the sustainable impact of Aga Khan on education, health and development.
(With the contribution of agencies)
