Abdul Zahir
Zahir, Abdul
Born May 23, 1910, in Paghman. Afghan statesman.
In 1939, Zahir graduated from Columbia University in the USA. He is a doctor of medicine. Beginning in 1943 he worked in the health service system of Afghanistan, and from 1956 to 1958 he served as minister of health. From 1958 to 1961, Zahir was Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan and at the same time was envoy to Ceylon. From 1961 to 1964 and from 1965 to 1969 he was chairman of the lower house of Afghanistan’s parliament. In 1964-65 he served as deputy prime minister and minister of health. From 1969 to 1971, zahir was ambassador to Italy, and from July 1971 to December 1972 he was prime minister of Afghanistan.