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King Amanullah Khan’s daughter dies at 94 in Rome
Princess India, daughter of King Amanullah Khan and Queen Soraya, has passed away in Rome, as confirmed by her daughter Soraya Malek via social media on Saturday night.
“It is with deep sadness that I must announce the demise of my mother, Princess India d’Afghanistan, daughter of King Amanullah Khan and Queen Soraya. She passed peacefully in Rome on Friday evening, October 13, 2023, at around 19:00,” Soraya Malek said.
“Her burial ceremony will be held in a brief manner with the presence of her family,” Malek said.
She also said that Princess India devoted most of her last four decades to aiding her fellow Afghans. In the 1980s, she cared for injured and ill Afghans in Rome.
Throughout the two decades of the Republic, she embarked on numerous trips to Afghanistan, delivering funds she had raised and aid she had collected from generous donors, Malek added.
Princess India d’Afghanistan, born on June 7, 1929, was the youngest daughter of Amanullah Khan and Soraya Tarzi, who served as King and Queen of Afghanistan in the 1920s. She held the distinguished title of princess within the royal house of Mohammadzai-Tarzi.
Princess India, born five months after her father’s abdication in Bombay, British India, in 1929, was named in honor of their home country.
Following an invitation from Queen Elena of Italy, the family settled in Rome, where she spent her formative years and remained a resident. She studied at Pension Marie-José in Gstaad, Switzerland, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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