Afghan King Overthrown; A Republic Is Proclaimed - By REUTERS JULY 18, 1973
Shah, who is on a visit to Italy.
Within an hour, the country of 15 million people — largely farmers and herdsmen — was placed under martial law. Be tween periods of martial music, the Kabul radio proclaimed the loyalty of the army and asked the people to cooperate with the “military Government.”There was no mention of the fate of the royal family or the members of the ousted Govern ment of Premier Mohammad Musa Shafiq.
In his broadcast, General Daud, who is 64 years old and a cousin as well as brother‐in law of the King, pledged that Afghanistan would continue her policy of nonalignment and would not join any military pact.
The nation, which depends heavily on foreign aid, has re ceived substantial assistance under Zahir Shah from its neighbors, the Soviet Union and. China, and from the United States. Its armed forces are equipped mostly by the Soviet Union.
Key points in Kabul, the, Afghan capital, were reported under military guard, but the city was said to be quiet. Dip lomatic sources in New Delhi said, however, that they had heard that there had been small‐arms fire and explosions during the day, with jets patrol ling the skies.
Afghanistan appeared virtu ally sealed off from the outside world. There were reports that the Kabul airport was closed and closely guarded, and that the telephone lines were cut.
The deposed king, who is 59 years old, had occupied the throne of his landlocked cen tral Asian country since 1933, when his father was assassi nated. Zahir Shah was 19 at the time, and for many years there after he was a near prisoner of his uncles and cousins. General Daud was Premier from 1953 to 1963, the last decade of the King's reign as a figurehead.
In 1963, the King shook off the restrainig influences shook of ousted General Daud. In 1965 he set up a constitutional mon archy with the King retaining paramount power, including the power to nominate the Premier.
Under the 1965 constitution, a parliament was established made up of a House of Elders, a third of whose 84 members were chosen by the King and the rest elected, and a House of the People, with 215 elected members. - Read More
Afghan King Overthrown; A Republic Is Proclaimed - The New York
Mohammed Zahir Shah - Wikipedia
posted by Fakhria @ 7/16/2018
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