The prime minister, who came from a rural area and went on to do a doctorate in economics at Cambridge, recalled his own story to emphasize the importance of putting all children in school.

VOA: standard.2010.04.01

"The biggest area of progress is giving Afghans the ability to actually change their own future, through education, through training of teachers, through economic opportunities such as the rehabilitation of the Dahla Dam, restoring agriculture."

VOA: standard.2010.05.26

"There is no justification for the international forces to rescue their own national, and retrieve the dead body of their own soldier killed in action, and leave behind the dead body of Sultan Munadi in the area."

VOA: standard.2009.09.10

"The targeting of that hotel was a clear signal to the humanitarian community and to the United Nations that the Taliban consider any efforts to provide assistance to the displaced people, to the people of this area, in conflict with their own goals,"

VOA: standard.2009.06.19