Ahmad Massoud: Afghanistan's future will be determined by people

Ahmad Masoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, said at a virtual gathering marking the tenth anniversary of Syed Hussain Anwari's death that opponents of Taliban rule are united around shared principles, and narratives of disagreements are being "exaggerated." He emphasized that if free elections were held, the Taliban would not be able to compete with figures who have popular support, and he even cited Marshal Abdulrashid Dostum as an example. Masoud saw the alternative to Taliban rule as the establishment of a transitional government, drafting of a constitution, holding of a Loya Jirga, and then free elections — a process that he said could result in the formation of a legitimate system acceptable to all Afghan citizens.