KABUL, Aug 19 (AFP) - Former king Mohammad Zahir Shah attended Afghanistan's independence day celebrations for the first time in 30 years Monday, arriving at Kabul's Olympic Stadium with President Hamid Karzai in a show of national unity.

Their entrance was greeted with applause and cheers by the crowd, who also then hailed the arrival of powerful Defence Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim.

The 87-year old former monarch returned from exile in Italy in April, 29 years after he was ousted in a bloodless coup.

Crowds filled the stadium where performers ranging from stiltwalkers to judo experts took part in festivities to mark the war-ravaged country's 83rd anniversary of independence from British colonial rule.

Security was tight at the stadium and US special forces patrolled the stand and the area set aside for VIPs including several ministers.

After a woman parachutist landed in the center of the stadium, Karzai made a brief speech "with the permission of the father of the nation (Zahir Shah)."

He appealed to "boys and girls who are the hope and the future of Afghanistan.

"Whatever we have today is due to the sacrifices of the youth of Afghanistan."

Popular Education Minister Yunus Qanooni paid tribute to Afghanistan's official national hero Ahmed Shah Masood, the military leader of the Northern Alliance who was assassinated by suspected al-Qaeda militants on September 9 last year.

"On this independence day, we salute the martyrs of Afghanistan, especially Ahmed Shah Masood," said Qanooni, himself a senior Northern Alliance figure.

The military has taken center stage in recent independence day celebrations which have usually featured a show of strength parade past the city's main Eid Gah mosque.

But military involvement in this year's parade was kept to a minimum for financial reasons, and sports teams and schoolchildren were the main focus of attention.

Hundreds of them marched around the stadium, many performers stopping in front of the main stand where the ex-king and Karzai were watching proceedings.

They included an elderly troupe from the Shomali plains to the north of Kabul, who gave a display of rifle-juggling accompanied by drums and flutes before releasing a volley of fire into the air.

A karate trick which would have seen five blocks of ice chopped in half had to be halted as the ice melted off its wooden structure in the searing heat.

Women and schoolgirls also played a central role for the first time since the Taliban seized control of the capital in 1996 and imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

Women were barred from public life and girls' schools closed en masse, and the national stadium became notorious for hosting public executions.

Razia Rahimi, head teacher of Malalai high school for girls in Kabul, said her pupils had been looking forward to taking part for weeks.

"Today we have two reasons to celebrate. We are not just celebrating independence for the nation, but also independence for women," she told Nampa-AFP.

"We originally planned to have about 20 students take part (in the parade) but so many wanted to take part we now have double that number."

The celebrations ended around 11:30 am when Karzai released a white dove of peace into the air.

In an independence day eve address to the nation on state television and radio on Sunday night, Karzai urged Afghans to free themselves from dependency on foreign help.

"We should learn to feed ourselves and provide basic service for ourselves," he said in the broadcast in his native Pashtu tongue.

"How long should we look to others for help? We must rescue ourselves from this condition."- Nampa-AFP