CHITRAL: Prince Rahim Aga Khan V has assured Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi of continued investment and development support in the province, particularly in areas where the Aga Khan Development Network has long been active.
The assurance came during Prince Rahim Aga Khan’s visit to Chitral as part of his official seven-day visit to Pakistan, his first since becoming the 50th Imam of the Ismaili Muslim community. KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi received him on arrival in Lower Chitral, where provincial officials described the visit as an important moment for cooperation on development, tourism, education, health and community welfare.
According to official details from the Aga Khan Development Network, Prince Rahim is in Pakistan from May 20 to 26 at the invitation of the federal government. During his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, both sides discussed AKDN’s work in Pakistan, with special focus on Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi welcomed the Aga Khan’s interest in KP, saying the province offered major opportunities in tourism, hydropower, social services and infrastructure. The provincial government has recently been pushing large development packages, including tourism-linked projects in Hazara and uplift plans for merged districts.
The AKDN has worked in Pakistan since 1905, with projects in health, education, cultural restoration, rural development and climate resilience. Its presence is especially visible in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, where remote communities depend heavily on long-term development partnerships.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan V assumed leadership of the Ismaili community in February 2025 after the passing of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. In 2024, Pakistan awarded him the Nishan-e-Pakistan in recognition of the Aga Khan family’s services to the country.
For KP, the visit carries more than symbolic value. Chitral remains one of the province’s most promising but under-invested regions, rich in tourism potential yet vulnerable to climate shocks, poor connectivity and limited public services. Officials believe renewed AKDN engagement could help bring practical investment where it’s needed most.
