Karzai: I always acted on Zahir Shah advice --- KABUL (Pajhwok): Former president Hamid Karzai on Wednesday said he acted on advice from the late king of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah, during his 11-year rule. -- Karzai was addressing a gathering marking the 100th birthday of Zahir Shah, who reigned for four decades from 1933 before being ousted in a coup in 1973. -- After Taliban’s ouster from power, Shah returned to Afghanistan to open a Loya Jirga, which met in June 2002. He was given the title of Father of the Nation. -- “I never found Mohammad Zahir Shah disappointed about Afghanistan’s future. He was sure the country would eventually prosper and stabilise,” said Karzai. -- He added the Father of the Nation had never resorted to violence and was supportive of peace. Karzai said he had always followed Zahir Shah’s policies in developing the country. -- The former president said when Zahir Shah was in exile, he had always desired living in his country with his nation, a wish that came true in 2002. --- Biography of the former king was presented to the audience. After the assassination of his father, Zahir Shah was proclaimed the king of Afghanistan on November 8, 1933 at the age of 19. -- He ruled the country for 40 years. Zahir Shah was undergoing an eye surgery in Italy in 1972, when his cousin Mohammad Daud staged a coup and established a republican government. - mds/ma/mud, http://www.elections.pajhwok.com/en/2014/10/22/karzai-i-always-acted-zahir-shah-advice