With Shah Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V succeeding his father to the position of 50th spiritual leader of approximately 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims worldwide, a wave of nostalgia sweeps over the Ismaili community in the Sujawal district. They fondly reminisce about the late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV's historic visit to Sujawal town on 24 December 1964. This pivotal moment allowed Prince Karim Aga Khan IV to forge a deeper connection with his followers in the region.
Nawaz Ali, who is nearing his 70th birthday, still radiates excitement as he recalls meeting Prince Karim Aga Khan during his maiden visit to Sujawal in 1964. The visit marked a significant milestone in the district's history, leaving an indelible mark on the community.
"We were all excited to meet our spiritual leader, and eventually, it happened when he arrived at the dock Bungalow ground of Sujawal, where thousands of his followers were eagerly waiting," Nawaz Ali recalls. He adds that people from nearby villages, such as Tarr Khowaja, Tar Ali Pur, and Jati, travelled on ox carts, horses and by foot to catch a glimpse of their leader.
The followers of the Aga Khan were not as financially stable and educationally groomed in 1964 as they are today in Sujawal.
Within a decade of Aga Khan IV’s visit, the local community witnessed an unexpected surge in the literacy ratio – with youth seeking admissions in different schools and colleges, and parents despite being destitute, making efforts to get their children educated
“They made the visit of their spiritual leader a historic event in the history of Sujawal,” says Ghulam Ali Chagla who is now going to witness the accession ceremony of the new and 50th Imam of the world’s Ismaili community. Chagla served the community during the tenures of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV and his predecessor Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III.
Chagla says that the visit of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV to Sujawal was a major breakthrough in the history of Thatta district, as it paved way for several projects later launched by him for the local communities that led to educational and social uplift of the local Ismaili community and inspired other communities.
The late spiritual leader Aga Khan IV visited different parts of the country to meet his followers (murids) living in remote areas from 1958 to 1964. During that period, he visited Buhara, Mirpur Sakro, Tando Bago, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sujawal and Muhammad Abad villages of district Thatta and Badin where addressed large gatherings of his followers, emphasising the importance of education, unity, agricultural development and formation of cooperative societies. He also visited Hyderabad, Sultanabad, Sukkur and Shikarpur during that period. During his visit to Sujawal, Prince Karim Aga Khan met the Assistant Commissioner Ghulam Hussain Memon, Molvi Abdullah, Natho Khan the President of Ismaili Council Shahbunder, Mukhi Peer Bhai the community head for Sujawal, Seth Motan and other key leaders of the government.
Recalling the landmark visit, a key leader of the local Ismaili community Barkat Ali Ahmed Ali says that in the wake of the visit of the spiritual leader, local community members sat together to design strategies for a brighter future. He further says that within a decade after Aga Khan IV’s visit, the local community witnessed an unexpected surge in the literacy ratio – with youth seeking admissions in different schools and colleges, and parents despite being destitute, making efforts to get their children educated.
“He always underscored the need for educating girls and directed parents to provide equal opportunities to women during the course of his community leadership,” says Qasim Ali Karimi while wiping the tears that well up in his eyes.
Piyar Ali Hajani, a local social activist and key member of the local council during the 1964 visit, says that the institutions established by Prince Karin Aga Khan, mainly the Aga Khan Social Welfare Board and the Economic Planning Board apprised local growers about the modern methods of land cultivation.
“It was the Impact of his visit that an organisation was later formed to mobilise youth and initiate skill development courses during early 1970s,” says GM Hashmani, adding that soon Aga Khan Health Centres were opened in far-flung areas of Thatta and Sujawal districts.
The first ever Aga Khan School of district Thatta was renovated in 1970, and the teachers teaching at Aga Khan School Tarr Khowaja were selected during Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo’s government to train teachers of public-sector schools.
Health was one of the sectors that made significant development under the leadership of the late Aga Khan, says Dr Aijaz Rahi, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO). A team of nurses from villages of Sujawal district went to the Northern Areas of Pakistan to serve there as lady health visitors and facilitate the deprived populace. A former leader of the community, Khamiso Muhammad Khan, says that a Young Student Association, Youth and Sports Boards and other organisations were specifically formed to address the issues of students.
Narrating the contribution of the local Ismaili community in the development of Sujawal district, Barkat Ali Ahmed Ali says; “We have inspired many fellow-communities for voluntary service in the field of education and health,” adding that the community has the highest literacy ratio in the region.
The credit for establishing the first ever cooperative society and housing society of Thatta district also goes to the community. It is pertinent to mention here that the first two PhDs from Thatta, Dr Ghulam Ali Allana and Dr Mansoor Ali, hailed from Tarr Khowaja village. Besides them, Dr Wazir Ali, Dr Nasir, Der Umeed Ali, Ashiq Ali Karimi, Imam Dino Khuajawa and Amir Ali Khowaja served as gazetted officers in education, health and other departments across the district.
Prince Karim Aga Khan IV always stressed the importance of interfaith harmony, pluralism, education and tolerance in the development of any society. Sharing the historic bond of Prince Karim Aga Khan with Sindh, particularly Thatta district, a former scholar of the community, Maddad Ali Karam Ali, says that the great-great-grandfather of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who was Aga Shah Hassan Ali (or Aga Khan I), relocated from his home in Iran to Jhirk town of Thatta, where he stayed for decades. Furthermore Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III always praised the culture and traditions of Sindh during his speeches and sermons.
The senior leaders of the community living in Sujawal have pledged to stand by the 50th Nizari Ismaili imam in furthering the community's development and progress. As Shah Rahim Al Hussaini Aga Khan V succeeds Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the community looks forward to a new era of growth and prosperity under the guidance of their new spiritual leader.