Afghans welcome talks, express support for exiled king

Afghans welcomed talks aimed at forming a broad-based, interim government today, and expressed overwhelming support for the exiled king as a leader the nation could unite behind.

Dawat Shah, a tailor in Jalalabad’s main bazaar, said he was encouraged by the talks in Germany and said he supported exiled former King Mohammad Zaher Shah to lead an interim government because over the past 28 years he had been outside the political fray has left Afghanistan destitute.

‘‘All the people want him because he had no corruption in his government,’’ the 30-year-old said, reflecting popular opinion in this former Taliban stronghold dominated by Pashtuns.

Most residents of Jalalabad agreed, though most acknowledged that because he is 87-years-old, Shah should serve mainly as a figurehead in a coalition government.

‘‘We need a team with Zaher Shah that can rebuild Afghanistan. We need people with knowledge of the modern world,’’ said Dr Abdul Baseer.

Pashtuns in Jalalabad rejected Burhanuddin Rabbani, a Tajik who heads the Northern Alliance, even though he is recognised as Afghan president by the United Nations.

Many blame Rabbani for the chaos and infighting that followed the fall of Afghan’s communist government in 1992 and led to the Taliban’s rise to power in 1996.