Leader Not in Kabul; Speculation Grows

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Afghan President Babrak Karmal did not return to Kabul from Moscow for celebrations Sunday marking the eighth anniversary of the Communist takeover in Afghanistan, fueling speculation that he is seriously ill or in political trouble.

Afghan diplomats in Islamabad would confirm only that Karmal, 57, was in the Soviet Union. He has not been seen in public since he left for Moscow more than three weeks ago in what was described as a private visit. Soviet sources said he is there for medical treatment.

Some Western observers, however, said Karmal’s absence lends support to rumors that he has been having political problems. The Soviet newspaper Pravda on Sunday noted criticism of the Afghan government for failing to “broaden the social basis of the revolution.”