The Aga Khan, philanthropist and spiritual leader, dies at 88

The Aga Khan holding the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy after being presented with the prestigious award for philanthropy at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in 2005. - AP

LONDON: The Aga Khan, who became the spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims at the age of 20, has died aged 88.

His Aga Khan Foundation announced on its website that Karim al-Hussaini, the 49th hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, died on Tuesday in Portugal surrounded by his family.