Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Pakistan
Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Pakistan
PROFILE OF THE COMPANY
Vision: An empowered, equitable, socially cohesive and economically prosperous society in Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral.
Mission: To improve the quality of life of local communities through social and economic development efforts.
Objectives
KEY PROGRAMME THEMES
Social Development
Institutional Development
Under institutional development, AKRSP provides support to Local Support Organizations (LSOs) and their constituent V/WOs to undertake local development activities in a participatory manner. Key activities under institutional development include capacity building of local activists and community leaders, linkage building and resource mobilization, and technical assistance in undertaking community managed projects.
Gender, Youth and Poverty
AKRSP places greater emphasis on promoting gender equality in its program. In the initial years, AKRSP’s main thrust was on promoting Women’s Organisations (WOs) as a collective forum to increase the inclusion and participation of women in social and economic spheres. These village level WOs proved vital in increasing the participation of women in decision making and addressing their practical and strategic needs. Building on this experience, AKRSP currently focuses on promoting gender mainstreaming in its programs, with a special emphasis on increasing the role of women in leadership positions.
Youth is considered a key asset and future investment. However, youth issues in Pakistan and GBC remain unaddressed. AKRSP’s new program around youth development attempts to bridge this gap by increasing employability and leadership among youth. Key areas of focus under youth development include employable skills, enterprise development, civic participation and youth leadership, and the promotion of enabling institutions.
Poverty is a multi-faceted problem and is addressed through both mainstream activities and targeted programs. AKRSP is implementing special projects aimed at identifying poor and addressing their livelihoods needs through provision of productive assets and employable skills. These activities also envisage linking poor with existing safety nets and social protection programmes.
Economic Development
Productive Infrastructure
Infrastructure development is a key component of AKRSP’s work in GBC, both to support and develop the institutional capacities of the communities as well as to increase income generation opportunities. AKRSP’s community infrastructure activities typically involve construction of irrigation schemes, link roads, bridges and micro-hydroelectric projects. In recent years, AKRSP has increased its focus on promotion of renewably energy through the construction of higher-capacity hydropower units with active involvement of local communities. As a result of this work AKRSP won two prestigious Awards - Ashden and Clean Development Mechanism (GDN). Over the years, the community needs of electricity have increased for heating/cooking, small enterprises in villages and for social sector services. AKRSP is testing a number of innovative approaches in its new energy projects including the establishment of community utilities, hybrid financing (community equity and loans), and productive uses of energy.
Market Development/Value Chain Development
Under the market/value chain development, AKRSP’s programs focus on developing promising economic sectors, (e.g. high value agriculture, gems, crafts and tourism) to increase income and employment opportunities for local communities. Key interventions include skills development, technical and financial support to lead enterprises and market based service providers to increase the scope and outreach of their businesses.
Status of Company: Not for Profit Company, licensed under sect 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984:
Company Registration Number: K-42/7046 of 1982
Company National Tax Number: 1832256-5
Address and Phone Number:
Registered Office: 2nd Floor, Jubilee Insurance Building, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Head Office: Baber Road, P.O. Box 506, Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan.
Tel. No. (+92-5811) 452480/452910/452679
Fax No. (+92-5811) 454175
Regional Programme Office – Gilgit: Noor Colony, Opposite NADRA Office, Jutial, Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
Tel. No. (+92-5811) 452910/455077/452177
Fax No. (+92-5811) 452822
Regional Programme Office – Baltistan: P.O. Box 610, Satpara Road, Skardu, Balistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Tel. No. (+92-5831) 450320-2
Fax No. (+92-5831) 450324
Regional Programme Office – Chitral: Shahi Qila, Chitral, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Tel. No. (+92-943) 412727/412720/412736
Fax. No. (+92-943) 412516
Regional Programme Office – Baltistan: House No 343, Street No 32, Sector F-11/2, Islamabad
Tel. No. (+92-51) 2100645-649
E-mail ID: info@akrsp.org.pk
GOVERNANCE
Name of Auditor of Company: M/S A.F. FERGUSON & CO Chartered Accountants’ a member firm of PwC Network PIA Building, 3rd Floor, 49 Blue Area, Fazl-ul-Haq Road, Islamabad
MEDIA
National / International Awards, Recognition, if any:
The development model adopted by AKRSP has itself been widely replicated both within AKDN and outside it. A network of Rural Support Programmes now exists all over the country with the mandate to design and implement strategies for alleviation of rural poverty. In South Asia and other parts of the world programmes based on this model have been set up to promote grassroots development through involvement of local communities.
AKRSP has received a number of awards, including the 2005 Global Development Awards for Most Innovative Development Project. The award, which was announced at the Seventh Annual Global Development Conference held in St. Petersburg, Russia on 20 January 2006, was given to the development projects that were judged to have the greatest potential for benefiting the poor in developing countries. For more information, please see the Global Development Network website.
It also received Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy, or "Green Oscar", for its programme of mini-hydels, or micro-hydroelectric plants, in the Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. The Ashden Award cited the AKRSP for the sustainable and eco-friendly solution: "Unlike dams, which invariably damage the local eco-system, the micro-hydel technology used by AKRSP involves simply digging a narrow channel to divert water along a hillside and into a pipe, creating enough pressure to turn a turbine and so produce 20 -100kw of power." The impact in areas off the electricity grid has been significant. Over 180 micro-hydel units supplying electricity to 50 percent of the population of Chitral have been built. The projects are implemented, maintained and managed by the communities themselves.
Last Date on which website was updated: 15 December 2015.
- Foster inclusive and competent local institutions of the people that contribute effectively and sustainably to local development
- Increase income and employment opportunities for local communities, particularly poor and vulnerable (including youth and women)
akf-pakistan-tourism_promotion_baltistan.jpg

Tourism promotion in Baltistan, Pakistan, supported by EELY, AKRSP and DFATD.
Copyright:
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Name | Qualification | Profession |
Ali Noormahomed Rattansey | FCA (England & Wales) | Ex-Partner PWC |
Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi | Ph. D. MBA | Management & teaching |
Shoaib Sultan Khan | MBA | Retired Civil Servant/ Development Expert |
Afzal Ali Shigri | B.A. | Retired Civil Servant/ Development Expert |
Dr. Inayatullah Faizi | Ph. D. | Development Consultant / Educationist |
Ghulam Muhammad Tahir | MA | Retired Government Servant |
Saeedullah Jan | MA | Teaching |
Amir Masood Khan | MBA | Banking |
Azizuddin Boolani | MBA | General Management |
Karim Alibhai | Ph. D. | General Management |
Shandana Khan | MBA | General Management/ Development Consultant |
Nusrat Nasab | MS (Development Economics) | General Management/ Development Specialist |
Akbar A. Ladak | MBA | Banking |
Dr. Rozina Karmaliani | M.B.B.S. | Health Management |
Sohail G. Khoja | MBA | Business |
Thomas Joseph Gerald Austin | Masters in Law | General Management |
Abdul Malik | MBA, MPA | General Management & Project Development |
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