a "loya jirga" (assembly of the people) is held at paghman, and discusses a number of the reforms proposed by the king. it is decided among other things to replace the council of state with a national assembly of 150 members selected from the grand assembly for three years, and to which government servants shall be ineligible; that the period of compulsory military service shall be extended from two to three years and all exemptions abolished; that preaching certificates shall be introduced for afghan mullahs and that mullahs from neighbouring countries shall be excluded; and that persons entering the government service in future shall not have more than one wife. it is also resolved that afghanistan shall adopt a tricoloured flag in place of the present black flag, which is said to be an emblem of mourning, not fitting for afghanistan since she achieved her independence. the king also desires to prohibit the marriage of youths before 22 and girls before 18, but he cannot persuade the assembly to agree to this. hardly is the "jirga" over when a number of mullahs begin to preach sedition among the people. the king promptly arrests the ringleaders, and on october 30 the chief kadi of kabul and three other mullahs are executed. the king meanwhile proceeds with his scheme of reforms. he has already decreed that education up to a certain point shall be compulsory for all and free for the poor. by the end of october several roads and bridges are being constructed, telegraphs and telephones are working between kabul and the chief towns, and college buildings are being erected in kabul and kandahar. for the improvement of the army, 65 officers have gone to russia, france, and italy, and 20 more are to go to england, while a staff college is to be opened at khurd zabitan. for the furtherance of the king's various schemes numerous foreigners are invited to the country. the king is desirous to introduce the system of cabinet government, but shir ahmad khan, to whom he entrusted the task, is unable to form a cabinet, and he has, as he says, to be his own prime minister.