Pakistan Declares Febr 8 National Day of Mourning for Prince Karim Aga Khan’s Funeral

Pakistan has declared February 8 as a national day of mourning to coincide with the funeral of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslim community.

“Expressing profound grief on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan on the sad demise of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, the Prime Minister has declared a day of national mourning in Pakistan on Saturday, the 8th of February, 2025, on the occasion of the funeral of His High Highness,” said a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday.

The government’s declaration includes flying flags at half-mast across all government buildings in Pakistan on February 8

This decision reflects the significant impact and respect Prince Karim Aga Khan had in Pakistan, particularly through his philanthropic work and contributions to social development

Prince Karim Aga Khan passed away on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88 in Lisbon. He was known for his extensive humanitarian efforts through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which focused on education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation globally.

Following his death, Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan has been named as his successor, becoming the 50th Imam of the Ismaili community.

Taking to X, PM Shehbaz Sharif extending his condolences, termed the Aga Khan a “true friend of Pakistan”, adding that he illuminated many lives with his visionary leadership and his contributions to global development, education, health and humanitarian efforts will always be remembered.

However, it also coincides with other planned events; notably, PTI has announced plans to observe a “Black Day” on February 8 to protest against what they claim were fraudulent elections last year.