His majesty the King of Spain honors the former C.E.O of the Aga Khan Foundation for his work in Pakistan

PR - On behalf of His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, His Excellency Mr. Gonzalo Maria Quintero Saravia, Ambassador of Spain in Pakistan, has conferred Mr. Al-Nashir Jamal – the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan Foundation (Pakistan) – with the prestigious award of the “Knight Commander of the Order of the Civil Merit”.

The order of the Civil Merit was established in 1926 by His Majesty King Alfonso XIII, to recognize “Civic virtues of those in the service of the State as well as extraordinary services rendered to the Kingdom of Spain by foreign nationals”.

According to the text of the decree: “His Majesty, King Juan Carlos the First, Grand-Master of the Order of the Civil Merit and, on His Majesty’s behalf, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Grand Chancellor of the Order, has been pleased to bestow the Knight-Commander ship of the Order of the Civil Merit on Mr. Al-Nashir Jamal, who from now on will be addressed as Ilustrísimo Señor Al-Nashir Jamal”.

Speaking to the prestigious ceremony that was held today at the Spanish Embassy in Islamabad, His Excellency Mr. Gonzalo Maria Quintero Saravia said that “The work carried out by Ilustrísmo Señor Al-Nashir Jamal during his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan is an example of how international cooperation can be a real instrument both, in the development of local communities, and in achieving understanding between different cultures. The importance of the Aga Khan Foundation is internationally known and valued; and its work in Pakistan should be specially awarded”.

“Ilustrísmo Señor Al-Nashir Jamal has added his own treasure of knowledge and experiences to the work done by the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan. He has personally suffered the evil results of intolerance and dedicated his work to fight the sources of this evil, which include, poverty, isolation, and the lack of education. Today, we honour both his achievements and the generosity of his heart”.

Mr. Jamal said “I am deeply humbled by this great honour conferred on me, by His Majesty King Juan Carlos, and am very grateful to His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation, and to His Excellency Ambassador Saravia, for this very kind gesture.  However, this recognition, would not have been possible had it not been for my association with the Aga Khan Foundation and its work in Pakistan. Therefore, in all humility, I accept and dedicate this honour to the thousands of staff and volunteers involved with the Aga Khan Development Network”.

About Pakistan-Spain Development Cooperation

Bilateral relations between Spain and Pakistan have taken a quantum leap in the past few years. In the field of development cooperation, Spain has always responded to the needs of the people of Pakistan.

The terrible earthquake which struck Pakistan in October 2005 triggered an expansion in Spanish cooperation in this country that was until then limited to the presence of small NGOs in several provinces, and some isolated projects. Spain has since then continued to provide emergency aid, contributing to the reconstruction of the affected areas with significant support to several UN agencies working in Pakistan.

Last year, Spain provided one million Euros through UNHCR to respond to the humanitarian crisis of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled hostilities in the NWFP and FATA regions.

Moreover, Pakistan is one of the eight pilot countries in the UN reform, and has been selected as a beneficiary of the Spain-UNDP Fund.

In the Tokyo Donors Conference, held in April 2009, Spain pledged 30 million Euros for two years, mainly earmarked to facilitate rural development and improve food security situation in Pakistan.

About the Aga Khan Foundation

The Aga Khan Foundation is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).  Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the AKDN brings together a number of international development agencies, institutions and programs that work primarily in the poorest parts of South and Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East in the areas of economic, social and cultural development. For more information, please visit www.akdn.org

Mr. Al-Nashir Jamal is a Canadian - born and raised in Uganda, and will be residing in Vancouver, BC.