KABUL: National Resistance Front leader Ahmad Massoud has rejected claims that opponents of the Taliban are divided, saying anti-Taliban forces remain united around shared principles, values and a common vision for Afghanistan’s future.
Speaking during an online event marking the 10th anniversary of the death of former commander Sayed Hussain Anwari, Massoud said narratives portraying Taliban opponents as fragmented were aimed at spreading hopelessness among Afghans and the international community.
“We are not fragmented. We are united, cohesive and committed to shared principles and values,” Massoud said.
He urged anti-Taliban groups and political movements to remain alert to what he described as divisive narratives.
Massoud also claimed that several anti-Taliban political figures enjoyed strong public support and would defeat Taliban candidates if free and genuine elections were held in Afghanistan.
He cited former Afghan vice-president Abdul Rashid Dostum as an example, saying it was impossible for a Taliban candidate to receive more votes than him in a fair election.
Rejecting the argument that there is no alternative to the Taliban administration, Massoud said the alternative was not one individual but a national and lawful political process.
He said such a process should include a transitional government, a new constitution, a Loya Jirga and free elections to establish a legitimate government accepted by Afghan citizens.
