UN ENVOY MOURNS PASSING OF MOHAMMAD ZAHIR SHAH, 'FATHER OF AFGHANISTAN'

UN ENVOY MOURNS PASSING OF MOHAMMAD ZAHIR SHAH, 'FATHER OF AFGHANISTAN'
New York, Jul 23 2007 9:00AM
The senior United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today mourned the passing of His Majesty Mohammad Zahir Shah, considered the father of the nation, at the age of 92.

In a statement released in Kabul, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative, Tom Koenigs, called the late monarch "truly a King of Peace."

Mohammad Zahir Shah not only presided over the most tranquil and prosperous periods in Afghanistan's modern history -- he also "exerted a unifying influence, including during the difficult decades of conflict," Mr. Koenigs said, paying particular tribute to the King's participation in the Bonn Process which lay the groundwork for establishing democracy in the country after the fall of the Taliban.

"The return of Mohammad Zahir Shah to Kabul in 2002 was a touchstone for Afghan hopes for peace and the revival of their institutions and traditions," Mr. Koenigs said, calling the King's role at the Emergency and Constitutional Loya Jirgas -- which paved the way for a political transition -- "a singular contribution to national reconciliation."

In December 2005, Mohammad Zahir Shah's presence at the opening of a new National Assembly "was a guarantee that a renewed constitutional order would safeguard the lives and rights of all Afghans," Mr. Koenigs added.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed solidarity with the Afghan people in their national mourning, flying its flags at half-mast.

"Our prayers are with His Majesty's family and with all those who were touched in so many ways by this great man," Mr. Koenigs said.

2007-07-23 00:00:00.000

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