The world lost a committed leader, an iconic philanthropist and a true social reformer, Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan, the 49th spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili sect of the Muslims. He played a pivotal role in improving the quality of life of people living in underdeveloped countries by launching several projects on health, education, environmental, social and economic development. As a successor of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan, he worked tirelessly not only for the development of Muslim Ummah but for subjugated masses across the world. Heads of state, social activists, philanthropists and humanitarians from across the world have expressed their deep grief on the demise of Prince Karim Aga Khan and termed it a colossal loss. The globally recognized social reformer and spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan revered as Shah Karim Al Hussaini was born in Jeneva city of Switzerland on 13 December 1936 in the family of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan a far-sighted Muslim leader of the 19th and 20th century who invested sincere efforts for Muslim empowerment in South Asia. At the age of 21 Prince Karim Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather as the 49th spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims besides inheriting his remarkable legacy of social work, philanthropy and an explicit vision for the Muslim Ummah. The formation of AKDN Aga Khan Development Network brought him closer to the communities across the world living a substandard life. During the first three years of his spiritual leadership, he visited different countries of the world particularly the Muslim countries to gain firsthand knowledge about the challenges being encountered by the Muslim Umma in different walks of life. After his thorough visits to different countries, including Pakistan, he came to know that unity and coordination would play an instrumental role in the development of Muslims across the world. On 12 March 1976 while presiding over the Seerat Conference he underscored the need to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet May Peace Be Upon him and the basic principles of Islam for consistent development. During his sermons to his followers, he would always guide them to become loyal to Pakistan and dedicate their skills to its development. Aga Khan’s profound association with Pakistan led him to establish the first-ever private university in the field of medical science. Talking about the significance of Islam he said; “Let me return, now, to the question of what Muslim Society should seek to be in the years ahead. Islam, as even non-Muslims have observed, is a way of life. This means that every aspect of the individual’s daily existence is guided by Islam: his family relations, his business relations, his education, his health, the means and manner by which he gains his livelihood, his philanthropy, what he sees and hears around him, what he reads, the way he regulates his time, the buildings in which he lives, learns and earns. I cannot think of any time in Islamic history when Muslims have had a greater opportunity to unite, and to ensure that the society in which they live is that which they have defined and chosen for themselves.” Aga Khan would frequently visit Pakistan to meet his followers and facilitate the Government through multiple development projects in the fields of health, education, tourism and social development. His profound association with Pakistan led him to establish the first-ever private university in the field of medical science in 1983 providing an auspicious opportunity for the students of Pakistan to explore modern findings in the field of medical science. As a leader of a globally esteemed Shia Ismaili community, he always considered education a major instrument for social revolution and poverty alleviation. Besides Aga Khan University Hospital, he opened schools and colleges in underdeveloped areas of the country to boost the literacy ratio and empower the young generation for change. When the northern areas of the country were counted among the underdeveloped countries of the world, he launched the Aga Khan Rural Support Program to train men and women in different skills and founded education institutes in the Hunza district of Gilgit Baltistan taking its literacy ratio to 98%. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif Provincial executives, Justin Trudo of Canada, representatives of UNO among others while paying him tribute agreed on his dedication to humanity and his visionary approach to change society. As head of a Muslim sect, he was always keen to preserve Muslim Heritage for which he had established the Aga Khan Trust for Culture under the Umbrella of AKDN. This institute aimed at evaluating and inspecting buildings depicting Muslim architecture and culture during different dynasties and would also give awards to Muslim artists; giving exceptional services in arts and culture. His stature as a globally acknowledged leader could ascertained from the awards titles and honorary degrees bestowed upon him by universities, governments and social organizations of more than 30 countries of the world including Pakistan where he received Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Nishan-e-Pakistan and Honorary PhDs from the University of Sindh and the University of Peshawar. Prince Karim Aga Khan vividly advocated Islam and its moral values when the world started confronting political and religious turmoil towards the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the 21st century. As a cordial friend of Pakistan, he stood by its people in testing times and provided assistance for people affected by flash floods in 2010, 2015 and 2022. He and his family also played an instrumental role in supporting Pakistan in procuring Gwadar port and later collaborating with China for CPEC. Throughout his life, he kept preaching peace and pluralism. In 2016 when he returned to Harvard University, his alma mater, he shed light on the significance of cosmopolitan ethics in a fragmented world that urged Muslim leaders to comply with the principles of cosmopolitan ethics. As the world has been bearing the brunt of climate change, he was probably the first international leader, who foresaw the dire consequences of changing atmosphere and global warming at a conference in Dubai in 2015. Later under his leadership AKDN and Ismailia Civic joined hands with the government of Pakistan to plant trees in far-flung areas of the country. Though Prince Karim Aga Khan has left us, his multi-dimensional services and commitment are a lot to say in the coming years. He will always be remembered as a change-maker across the world and a distinguished Muslim leader. The writer is a practicing lawyer and freelance journalist.