Huzaima Bukhari
“For famous men have the whole earth as their memorial”—Pericles
Death, a natural phenomenon is a confirmed visitor for every living being on this planet. No one can escape its clutches once it chooses to grasp a life. Talk of death is usually hushed up by many yet this reality cannot be overlooked. In its wake, death leaves behind the living in sorrow for those who pass away—a void that remains filled up with memories of the departed. The larger the group of relatives and friends, the larger number of mourners but where this ring circles around the entire globe, it is impossible to count grievers. Such is the destiny of the late His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan (1936-2025) the IV, 49th Hazar Imam of Nizari Ismailis. Along with his community, millions are in mourning at the loss of this great personality.
Albert Pike once said: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal”. Indeed, Prince Karim has earned this immortal status with his immense humanitarian work that he did since taking over the seat of leadership in 1957. He is perhaps the most revered human being on this planet who is highly acclaimed by each and every country of this world where he continues to leave his indelible footprints. His far-sightedness, wisdom and benevolence extended to the entire humanity for which he was presented with many awards, honorary degrees and keys to different cities. In a world where migrants are expelled from countries, he was granted citizenships.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), of which His Excellency was founder and chairman, is a global network having presence in about 30 countries and employing around 80,000 people. While describing AKDN to the Canadian Parliament, the visionary Aga Khan said: “The AKDN’s fundamental objective is to improve the quality of human life. The (Network) has worked over five decades to assist in the enhancement of civil society”.
This was just a description in a nutshell. The fact is that the scope of AKDN is extremely wide. It covers economic, social and cultural development that are at the core of all human societies. AKDN has played a significant role in improving economic conditions of the downtrodden and the neglected by introducing opportunities of employment through various programmes pertaining to promotion of tourism, industrial, media, financial and aviation services. On the social side, education and health are main focus of attention. As culture promotes humanism, AKDN has introduced special services to expand its network to cover architecture, historic cities, music and museums for the benefit of the human race.
Pakistan too is a beneficiary of AKDN in multiple ways. There are approximately 500,000 Ismailis in the country but the noble work in the form of educational and health institutions along with massive civil works in the Gilgit-Baltistan region in the north extend to all human beings living in these areas.
One cannot but praise the profundity of this great leader in walking the tightrope of prejudices together with maintaining a subtle balance with world polity and facing judgemental opinions regarding his personal life yet never ignoring for a moment his principal objectives for the betterment of humanity at large.
When humanists pass away, there is without any doubt, an atmosphere of sadness on account of this loss that lingers on for a long time. However, these are the moments when one should think about their lives and the profound impact their good deeds had on others. The very idea that they felt connected to the living and desired to distribute their blessings to all and sundry should be a source of inspiration. As legacy we want to leave behind properties that become a source of contention between the legatees but when benevolence is willed, it helps to create a more loving and compassionate climate for everyone.
Prince Karim Aga Khan had discovered early in his life, this secret of serving humanity that he pursued actively throughout his life. In 1967, he established the Aga Khan Foundation that became AKDN in 2008. The vision of sustainable development occupied his mind and his vast experience as an internationally acclaimed luminary helped him to evolve his brainchild into a most beneficial institution for betterment of people of backward areas in Africa and Asia. With all his powerful connections, he could have amassed immense wealth or grown into a powerful political figure but these were never his considerations.
Unlike the self-acclaimed leaders of our country, Prince Karim was a noble and a selfless person. He knew that immortality lay not in torturing and destroying people but in serving, nurturing and developing human beings. He was no prince of a limited estate but the entire world. For him, power was nothing more than a plaything of the immature therefore he diverted his entire focus on leaving a permanent heritage that would have an impact for eternity.
Even after a lapse of 80 years, bombers of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all the mercenaries till today are still being cursed because they were and are instrumental in ransacking civilizations. On the contrary flagbearers of humanity like the late Prince Karim shall be remembered with love and affection for their acts of benevolence that would hopefully continue even if they are no longer physically present in this world.
There may not be any need to build a memorial for him because every beating heart that he has touched will become his eternal abode. May the departed soul rest in peace. One hopes that his successor Prince Rahim al-Hussaini (Aga Khan the V) will continue his father’s noble work with even greater fervor and passion.
________________________________________________________________________The writer, lawyer and author, is an Adjunct Faculty at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), member Advisory Board and Senior Visiting Fellow of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE)