Afghanistan's elderly former king Mohammad Zahir Shah has returned home after spending more than a month in India for medical treatment, the presidential palace said Thursday.
The former monarch was met at the airport at 5:00 pm (1330 GMT) by President Hamid Karzai and other members of cabinet.
"His health is perfect," deputy presidential spokesman Hamid Elmi told AFP in reference to 89-year-old Zahir Shah.
The former king left Afghanistan on February 4 for New Delhi for hospital treatment after complaining of intestinal problems.
Known as the "Father of the Nation," Zahir Shah has played a symbolic but unofficial role in the transition from the Taleban to the US-backed administration of Karzai since returning to the country in April 2002 after three decades in exile.
Zahir Shah, who was ousted in a 1973 coup, commands enormous popularity among Afghans, who remember his rule as a rare era of peace.