thr 045                                                               


Press-Iran  /POL/                                                     


   Zahir Shah: An independent personality or regression to royalty?  


Tehran, Sept 26, IRNA -- The English-language newspaper 'Iran News'   


in its editorial on Wednesday commented on probable return of Mohammad


Zahir Shah to Afghanistan in the wake of current global and regional  


development.                                                          


    It said, the news at hand indicates that international opinion is 


inclined toward ending the life of the Taliban. However, in this midst


Pakistan is the only country to have preserved its diplomatic         


relations with the Taliban.                                           


    In the past two weeks, went on the editorial, due to the presence 


of Mohammad Zahir Shah, Rome has become the center of dialogue on the 


future of Afghanistan.                                                


    "Following the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, a large       


vacuum was created in the Northern Alliance Front. In spite of the    


capable defense against the Taliban, the alliance was faced with a    


fundamental weakness; that is, the front was not able to exert great  


influence on the Pashtun tribe. Although some Pashtuns were in the    


Northern Alliance, the presence of the late Ahmad Shah Massoud and    


Rabbani, both of whom were Tajiks, caused the Pashtuns to have a minor


role," the daily pointed out.                                         


    "In spite of the Islamic fervor of the Taliban, the Jamiate-Islami


led by Rabbani, and the Hizbe-Islami of Golboddin Hekmatyar, the      


ethnic and tribal patterns assert immense influence on life in        


Afghanistan." it pointed out.                                         


    The United Kingdom, United States, and Pakistan are goading the   


Pashtuns to field a leader, even if it is only symbolic, said Iran    


News adding, the misguided and extreme actions of all the Jihad groups


have created a situation of such extreme that, at this sensitive      


moment, the 86-year-old former monarch Zahir Shah has to return to the


political scene of Afghanistan in order to create a transitional      


government and Zahir Shah's being a Pashtun is central to this issue. 


    The question is, however, "Does Mohammad Zahir Shah wish to return


to create a caretaker government by way of the Louieh Jorghe, followed


by democratic elections, or do the big powers have a plan to restore  


monarchy to Afghanistan? it asked.                                    


    If such is the case, after 22 years of brave resistance by the    


Afghan people, this would be interpreted as a regression. And for     


Tehran, this is not tolerable, concluded 'Iran News'.                 


MM/AH                                                                 


End                                                                   


::irna    17:23