Afghanistan has not been a happy country, although the optimism of the past few months has given more hope than would have been thought possible a year ago. The return to Kabul yesterday of the former king, Zahir Shah, is another sign of increasing momentum in the process of rebuilding the country. Zahir Shah is not a political figure any more, but his presence at the forthcoming Loya Jirga will be of great importance in giving the assembly constitutional authority, and in emphasising that Afghanistan can return to normality.

The route to full normality is a combination of leadership from the government, and bluff. The central government is still not strong enough to control the regional warlords by force if required. But the slow growth of services from the centre, and the prospect of billions in aid coming through the Kabul government, has kept the potential for civil war to a minimum.

However, there is a long way to go. Only 250,000 Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan in recent weeks, leaving an estimated 3.7 million refugees still in the two neighbouring countries. These people are watching events and will vote with their feet when they feel that it is safe to return home.

The responsibility of the Loya Jirga, and that of any politician in Afghanistan, is to work to overcome the many divisions in the country, which can only have been deepened by the 20 years of civil war, with all its consequent resentments and feuds. The presence of Zahir Shah will support that process by using his personal authority without taking a formal political role. The Interim Administration will be replaced by the government decided on by the Loya Jirga, and it will have to rebuild both the destroyed infrastructure and shattered society. It will not be easy.