PM "saddened" by death of Zahir Shah

The Prime Minister has spoken of his sadness at the death, at 92, of Zahir Shah, the former king of Afghanistan and spoken of his unique role in rebuilding the country.

The life of the deposed monarch spanned the most turbulent year's of Afghanistan's history, including the Soviet invasion and the fundamentalist rule of the Taliban.

Shah's final years saw him return to Kabul as a "father of the nation", helping bring democracy to the country.

Mr Brown said:

"I was saddened to hear of the death today of the Father of the Afghan Nation, Zahir Shah. He has played a unique role in helping to restore the unity of the Afghan people and Afghanistan's democratic values.

"Rebuilding Afghanistan's economy and institutions will remain a challenge for us all for many years to come. Zahir Shah set an example to us all in his readiness to go on playing his role in that process right to the end. It is an example of which the Afghan people can be proud."

ENDS

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