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Upon Hazar Imam's arrival at the Nur Khan Airbase in Islamabad, he was received by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Khawaja Asif, the Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, as well as the President of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, Hafiz Sherali. Leaders of AKDN and Jamati Institutions in Pakistan were also present at the airport to receive Hazar Imam.

Shukurallah Baig from Hunza began work with Aga Khan Cultural Service, Pakistan (AKCSP) as a draught engineer. Over the years he has worked on iconic projects like Altit and Baltit Fort. Recently he oversaw the restoration of the Wazir Khan Chowk, a historical cultural space in the Walled City of Lahore. "It has been heartening to see attitudes change in old Lahore. Inhabitants have come to realise that it is not necessary to dismantle old buildings; it is possible to renovate them both internally and externally. People here in Lahore associate the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with high standards, pride and job opportunities."

The Ismaili Council for Ishkoman Puniyal launched their Diamond Jubilee preparations with an inspirational Cleanliness Initiative, a unique event that saw a thousand members of the Jamat come together to clean and beautify their valley, demonstrating civic responsibilty and mindfulness of the environment.

This year, the Pakistan team won 16 medals, which included 5 Gold, 7 Silver and 6 Bronze medals at the Special Olympics. Three of those winning athletes are Ismailis, as is their coach Ms. Amina Parveen Barkatullah Baig. As part of our ongoing series on inspirational Ismailis, she shares the challenges and the experience of coaching for the Special Olympics.

The rural poor Pakistan still depend on wood-burning stoves for food preparation and warmth. Inefficient traditional stoves emit copious amounts of smoke that lead to health issues such as acute respiratory infections and eye soreness. They also burn large amounts of fuel which means arduous hours collecting fuel and smoke-filled homes. AKAH helped introduce a new energy-efficient stove that emits less smoke and cuts fuel consumption by 30-50%. The design has been so successful that it has been appropriated by entreprenuers and adopted far beyond the original target population.