Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chief Minister, Haji Gulbar Khan, has recognized the positive contributions of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in various sectors, following a meeting with Nizar Mewawalla, President of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, Aziz Boolani, CEO of Serena Hotels, and Akhtar Iqbal, CEO of AKDN Pakistan. The discussions focused on AKDN’s vital role in education, health, disaster management, climate change resilience, and civic engagement in the region.
The Chief Minister praised AKDN’s involvement and also shared that he had written a letter to Prince Rahim Aga Khan, seeking assistance for the rehabilitation of communities affected by recent devastating floods in Gilgit-Baltistan. In response, Nizar Mewawalla expressed heartfelt sympathy for the impacted families and assured continued support from AKDN agencies, emphasizing their commitment to help restore and strengthen local communities.
During the meeting, AKDN announced plans to restore, repair, and “green retrofit” seven schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, bringing them up to modern environmental standards. The network will also undertake repairs to solar energy systems at government health centers hit by the floods and restore clean drinking water schemes and protective infrastructure. Eight community emergency response teams will be established in flood-affected areas to support disaster response efforts.
Further support will include the supply of medical equipment and materials to local healthcare providers, with the deployment of mobile health units to deliver quality medical care. Additionally, efforts will soon begin to identify and treat 3,000 children and women suffering from malnutrition in the flood-affected regions.
