On December 13, the world and the Ismailis will celebrate the 88th birthday of His Highness the Aga Khan—a spiritual leader to millions in the world whose life and work are a brilliant example for the world in compassion, progress, and zeal regarding human development. His achievements have risen above barriers of color, caste, religion, and nationality—bequeathing a continuing legacy of human development and welfare for generations to come.
Today is a day of joy and reflection, for his tireless efforts that has unleashed transformative change into innumerable communities across many continents. His work in education, health, and community development has not only enriched the Ismaili community but also benefited humanity at large. His vision and actions have always aimed at the alleviation of human suffering and the creation of pathways to prosperity and dignity in human life.
In 1960, during one of his visits to Hunza, Pakistan, the first Golden Jubilee School was laid by The Aga Khan. It thus beamed hope and light in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan, where, during those times, the percentage of literacy was as low as 3%. His foresightedness, long-term planning, and commitment have now changed this into 97% literacy in the region.
This was achieved by spreading the schools in the GB region and their educational activities that had brought a change to their lives, self-reliability, skill development, and thus brighter futures. This experience and success is reflected right across southern Pakistan, which, with the establishment of the latest standards of educational and health institutes, Karachi and the province of Sindh can count as their own. Facilities acclaimed by the world continue further towards setting the benchmark to the highest standards for quality educational and medical care.
The Aga Khan Health Services were started in the 1920s and now have a network of 575 health centers in countries such as Pakistan, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda. These house life-saving medical support, extended to masses across remote regions and amongst marginalized communities. His efforts have ensured that the health and finances reach millions to enable the unprivileged towards treatment. The policies in 2024 alone, during the tenure of its president, Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, have allocated approximately 7 billion Pakistani rupees to subsidize medical expenses for underprivileged patients treated at the AKUH.
AKUH, Pakistan is a part of an integrated network comprising 940 hospitals and healthcare facilities in a dream decreed by The Aga Khan and the result of several decades of dedicated work on his part. These institutions maintain high standards of health care.
The work of His Highness, the Aga Khan extends to far more than just Pakistan itself. He pushed forward with programs concerned with agriculture, education, infrastructure, climate change, and disaster relief through the Aga Khan Development Network. The Aga Khan Foundation alone provided technical assistance to 7,000 farmers, helped to reconstruct schools, and provided essential medicines and medical supplies to areas suffering from civil strife, including Syria and Lebanon. As many as 19,000 alternative schools were opened with the aim of keeping refugee children attending school. Equally again, his focus was to bring into being environmental sustainability, with a total of 9,200 trees planted in proper reforestation areas. This shows how much he is committed to saving humanity from the dangerous effects of climate change.
His Excellency the Aga Khan has earned admiration and regard throughout the world. Renown, statesmen, and communities pay respectful tributes to his outstanding work in various parts of the world. His call for peace, pluralism, and human dignity guides through a world that often appears torn apart by conflict and inequality. His personality reflects the continued success of AKDN and the Global Centre for Pluralism as testaments to his commitment toward making societies inclusive and prosperous. On the 88th birthday, as we take time to celebrate the life of His Highness The Aga Khan, let his lifetime of selfless service toward human development and upholding the dignity of the human spirit be in the heart of each one of us, serving as an agent that brings into the spotlight strength from within compassion, perseverance, and collective responsibility in our striving for a better world.
