KABUL (Ruptly) — The son of national hero and anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, Ahmad Massoud, made his political debut at a rally on Thursday in Panjshir Province, after being named as his father’s successor.

Massoud, who graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, took the chance to address the crowd when launching his new movement, inspired by his father’s Northern Alliance military front. He thanked them for recognising him as the right person to lead resistance to any kind of power-sharing deal with the Taliban.

The US are currently holding negotiations with the Taliban over a draft peace accord which could see thousands of US troops withdrawn from Afghanistan.