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The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of Pakistan. The Network’s organizations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and the promotion of private-sector enterprise. AKDN is working in Pakistan under its founder and chairman Prince Karim Agha Khan IV.

Purpose of Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP), which is working under AKDN is to create inclusive processes of development that diverse communities could participate in and sustain. Over 16,000 people a year use rural infrastructure built by AKRSP or partners.

Many of the methods developed for creating and maintaining a strong civil society were pioneered in Pakistan, not least the village organizations first created under the AKRSP. Recently, AKDN’s Civil Society program has been working to help civil society organizations – broadly defined – to become more efficient and effective. The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) supports over 5,000 CSOs in Pakistan.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s (AKTC) program works on projects across Pakistan, from the Walled City of Lahore to parts of the Silk Road in the north of the country. AKTC has won 15 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in Pakistan.

AKDN has been supporting early childhood development (ECD) and pre-primary initiatives for many years. AKF’s programs reach over 10,000 children in Pakistan.

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) has been working in Pakistan since 1998, with a vision to save lives, reduce suffering and create resilience in communities prone to man-made and natural disasters. AKAH has produced hazard and risk maps for 828 villages in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.

Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development’s (AKFED) projects range from tourism promotion, including eight hotels, to financial project companies. Over 400,000 households have benefitted from physical infrastructure projects.

AKDN’s education activities span early years through to postgraduate degrees and have reached millions of students. The Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Medical College is ranked #1 in Pakistan.

AKDN provides safe water and sanitation infrastructure, helping to prevent disease. Renewable, efficient energy generation reduces deforestation and indoor air pollution. They work with villages to plan and construct safe, low-cost housing. AKDN has provided access to safe drinking water and sanitation for over 500,000 people in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.

Their services range from primary health care to diagnostic services and curative care. AKDN train community midwives and facilitate micro health insurance. They educate healthcare professionals and produce world-class research. Aga Khan Health Services provides services for over 1.1 million people.

Established by AKDN in 2002, HBL-Microfinance Bank (HBL MFB) focuses on serving vulnerable populations, with branches in every province and mobile banking for areas with limited Internet access. Its loans, micro insurance and other services help boost entrepreneurship across the country. HBL-MFB has provided over US$ 712 million in loans.

AKDN’s efforts are a significant step towards fostering peace and prosperity within a society as they are working to improve the livelihood of individuals residing in under develop communities. The collective efforts are contributing towards development and stability which naturally leads to peace and prosperity. Therefore, In June 2024, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari conferred the nation’s highest civilian award, Nishan-i-Pakistan, to the member of the AKDN’s Executive Committee, Prince Rahim Aga Khan for organization’s social and economic welfare activities in Pakistan. 

Organizations efforts are role model for those who wants to participate in nation building. One can engage in various small scale educational, health or social development projects in their community. Even with limited resources one can always start with small steps, such as setting up health camps in respective localities, offering free tutoring to deserving students or setting up a small business projects to boost the local economy. These small initiatives in longer run will lead to development and stability in society.