Key points
- Ceremony attended by over 300 guests
- Canadian PM, Qatar’s emir, Spanish king, Portuguese president among attendees
- Late Prince Karim Al-Hussaini to be laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt on Sunday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb attended the funeral ceremony of the late Prince Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the 49th spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community, on Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal.
The funeral ceremony held at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon – a religious, social and cultural meeting place – was attended by over 300 guests, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and former Spanish King Juan Carlos I.
Late Prince Karim-Al Hussaini led his followers for nearly seven decades and passed away earlier this week at the age of 88.
Services acknowledged
Leaders around the world including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condoled his death, acknowledging his extensive services in education, health, and poverty alleviation in some of the world’s least developed countries.
“Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb, attended the funeral of the late Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, in Lisbon, Portugal,” said the statement from Pakistan’s foreign office.
“During the meeting with Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, the 50th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Minister conveyed condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan,” it added.
Aurangzeb lauded the late Aga Khan’s contributions to philanthropy and development, describing his passing as a monumental loss not only for his family and followers but also for underprivileged people worldwide. He also recalled Prince Karim Aga Khan’s special attachment to Pakistan and its people.
The AKDN, founded by the late Ismaili leader, has been instrumental in various development projects in Pakistan, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, and rural Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.
According to the Diwan of Ismaili Imamate, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV will be laid to rest during a private burial ceremony in Aswan, Egypt, on Sunday.
