By Devirupa Mitra, IANS,
Kabul : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be the first foreign head of state to stay at the personal suite of former Afghan king Zahir Shah in the Presidential Palace, since the fall of the Taliban.
Manmohan Singh is on his first visit to Kabul after August 2005.
According to officials, the Afghan government is attaching special importance to Manmohan Singh. He has been offered unprecedented courtesies during the visit.
“He will the first foreign head of state to stay at the royal suite at Haram Sarai since 2001,” said an Indian official.
Haram Sarai is located inside the presidential complex, which was first built by King Amanullah Khan during his reign in the early 20th century. It houses the personal suite of King Zahir Shah, who reigned for four decades before ousted by a coup in 1973.
Karzai hosted one of his biggest banquets in honour of Manmohan Singh.
“About 300-400 guests have been invited, which is unprecedented by Afghan standards. The Who’s Who of the country was there,” said an official.
Manmohan Singh will address the joint session of Afghan parliament Friday morning.