Gilgit: The Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan (AKES,P), Gilgit-Baltistan, has honoured students who achieved outstanding results in the Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) annual examinations 2026 at a merit citation ceremony held at the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Gilgit.
Aliza Ehsan and Ayesha Ahmed Shahzad of Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Gilgit, secured first and second positions, respectively, at the provincial level in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC-II) examinations. Sana Khan of Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Gahkuch, secured third position across Gilgit-Baltistan.
The ceremony recognised students who excelled in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and HSSC examinations in science, pre-engineering and pre-medical groups. Students from several Aga Khan educational institutions across the region also received certificates of distinction for their academic performance.
Brigadier (retd.) Khush Muhammad Khan, general manager of AKES,P for Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, welcomed participants and congratulated the students, parents, teachers and school administrations. He emphasised that education should go beyond the acquisition of knowledge to foster creativity, critical thinking, research, ethical values and responsible citizenship.
He also highlighted the organisation’s ongoing efforts to improve educational quality through teacher training, better school and laboratory facilities, information and communication technology, libraries, early childhood development, career counselling and financial assistance for deserving students. He encouraged students who did not receive awards to continue developing their talents in fields such as sports, music and the arts.
Addressing the gathering, educationist Dr Sharafat Saadi spoke about the Islamic tradition of scholarship, highlighting the contributions of scholars including Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina, Ibn al-Haytham and Al-Biruni. He urged students to adapt to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies while upholding ethical principles.
Imtiaz Momin, chief executive officer of AKES,P, was the chief guest at the ceremony, which was chaired by Sartaj Wali, president of the Ismaili Regional Council for Gupis-Yasin.
In his address, Momin said students from AKES institutions had secured 61 top positions nationwide and earned distinctions in 314 subjects in the current year’s AKU-EB examinations. Of these subject distinctions, 166 were achieved by students from Gilgit-Baltistan. He added that approximately 80 per cent of students were classified as high achievers.
He attributed the results to the collective efforts of students, teachers, school leaders, academic coordinators, Regional School Development Units (RSDUs), parents and support teams. He also acknowledged the contribution of Brigadier (retd.) Khush Muhammad Khan and his team to improving educational standards across the region.
Momin said AKES,P operates 157 schools nationwide, serving more than 65,000 students, compared with approximately 35,000 nine years ago. In Gilgit-Baltistan, the organisation is working to organise schools into 22 multi-campus clusters, expand enrolment and strengthen the academic continuity of schools through the AKU Examination Board.
Encouraging students to make learning a lifelong habit, Momin urged them to recognise and develop their abilities and use technology, particularly AI, responsibly and wisely. He said education should prepare young people for higher education and professional life while enabling them to use their knowledge and skills for the benefit of others.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the public and private sectors, representatives of Ismaili institutions, Head of Education Ain Shah, students, parents, teachers and education leaders.
The event concluded with congratulations to the award recipients and a renewed commitment to further improving the quality of education in Gilgit-Baltistan.
