The ethics of compassion and care, tolerance and equality, selflessness and service center His Highness' deeply held belief in and practice of the Muslim faith

I would note that while the Aga Khan Development Network's activities are rooted in the worldwide Shia Ismaili Muslim Community, its programmes and activities in each setting are open to all without regard to ethnicity, race, gender or religion. As a matter of policy, none of the Network's educational institutions offer instruction in religion unless required by the national curriculum.

Entrepreneurial activity provides income, income provides security, and when necessary, independence. Income is therefore a primary determinant, which enables a woman to protect herself and her family from poverty and even violence. These issues facing women are often echoed in the developed world and I am sure that most of us here today, know at least one woman who suffers from aggression and worse

Throughout history, when the great empires broke up, whether it be the fall of the Roman or Byzantine empires or of the Caliphate, you will find that the youth had lost its dynamism, its personality and its imagination.

If I were asked today where lay Pakistan’s greatest potential for the future, my answer without hesitation would be – the students. It is upon them, upon their integrity, their intelligence and their moral fabric, that depends the future of their country.