Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday, 20 May, on an official visit to Pakistan, at the invitation of the government. He was welcomed at the airport by the President of Pakistan His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari and his daughter First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari. Also present were Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information; Saleem Mandviwalla, Member of the Senate; Nizar Mewawalla, President of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan; Sultan Ali Allana, Director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development; and a delegation of Jamati leaders.
Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
President Zardari and Hazar Imam then travelled together to Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President’s official residence, where a formal guard of honour was presented.
Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
In the days ahead, Mawlana Hazar Imam will meet with Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and other senior government officials in the capital, before travelling to Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral to spend time the Jamat in the Northern Areas of the country, home to a large concentration of Ismailis.
Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral carry centuries of rich heritage and history, set against some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Once an integral link on the ancient Silk Road, the region today is a global hub for mountaineering and cultural tourism, known for its distinctive blend of traditions.
Source: Additional photos at The.Ismaili
First Lady of Pakistan
The status of the First Lady normally goes to the wife of the president of the country. President Zardari became a widower after his wife and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007; he did not re-marry. Upon his election in 2024, President Zardari announced the formal recognition of his daughter, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, as the First Lady of the country.
Sources:
The Siasat Daily
Press Trust Of India
Ismailimail 