What happened
Prince Rahim al-Hussaini, Aga Khan V, arrived in Pakistan on 20 May 2026 at the start of a visit running to 26 May, his first to the country since being named spiritual leader of the Ismaili community. He was received at Nur Khan Air Base by President Asif Ali Zardari and was presented with a guard of honour at Aiwan-i-Sadr, where the national anthem was played, according to a Presidency statement.
The meeting
Prince Rahim met the president at Aiwan-i-Sadr in a meeting also attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, followed by delegation-level talks. His delegation included Sultan Ali Allana, director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development; Shafik Sachedina, head of the Department of Jamati Institutions; Nizar Noor Mohammed Mewawala, president of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan; and Akbar Ladak, vice president of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan.
A banquet was held in the Aga Khan’s honour, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior officials, Dawn reported.
What was said
The president appreciated the Aga Khan Development Network’s longstanding contributions to Pakistan in healthcare, education, community development, climate resilience and heritage conservation, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation with the network for the welfare and development of vulnerable communities.
Prince Rahim thanked the president for the welcome and “reaffirmed AKDN’s continued commitment to supporting development and humanitarian initiatives in Pakistan”, the statement said. The Presidency noted that this was his second visit to Pakistan since 2024, when he was awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the country’s highest civilian award, for the Aga Khan family’s contributions.
What is next
The Aga Khan was expected to visit areas of Gilgit-Baltistan from 21 to 25 May, where he was to attend public gatherings and address ceremonies, according to Geo News.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Quotations are as carried by the cited outlets. Sources reviewed on 2026-05-20.
- Dawn — "Aga Khan affirms commitment to supporting development during meeting with President Zardari"20 May 2026 · Reports the arrival, the Aiwan-i-Sadr meeting, the banquet and the AKDN's commitments.
- Geo News — "In meeting with president, Aga Khan V reaffirms commitment to supporting development in Pakistan"20 May 2026 · Reports the visit dates, the delegation, the officials at the banquet and the planned Gilgit-Baltistan trip.
