Former king Muhammad Zahir Shah was pronounced dead in Kabul on Monday morning.

The 92-year-old Muhammad Zahir Shah died due to a protracted illness associated with old age. His death was announced by the Presidential Palace this morning.
The former monarch, who had ruled the country for nearly 40 years, returned to Afghanistan in 2002. He was born in April 1914 and became king of Afghanistan after the assassination of his father Nadar Shah in 1933.

King Zahir Shah was exiled in Rome, Italy, by his cousin Muhammad Daoud Khan in 1973. He was living in Rome since then and was not allowed to return to Afghanistan during the communist revolution of 1979.

After the overthrow of Taliban in Afghanistan in late 2001, Zahir Shah was invited by the interim government of President Hamid Karzai to return to Kabul to promote unity among the people, which was shattered by nearly three decades of wars and civil strife.

He returned to Kabul in 2002 and was announced as Babai Millat or Father of the Afghan Nation. Since then, he was living in his old Royal Palace. However, he never took part in active politics and kept himself from involvement with any political party, group or individual.

Güncelleme Tarihi: 23 Temmuz 2007, 13:02