 In 1973, Daoud Khan supported by Soviet-trained Afghan army officers seized power from his cousin, King Zahir Shah, in a bloodless coup.Soviet Union welcomed the coup as they were unhappy with Zahir's liberal regime and friendly ties with the United States.Following Daoud's return to power, Daoud revived his Pashtunistan policy and for the first time started proxy war against Pakistan by supporting anti-Pakistani groups and providing them with arms, training and sanctuaries.