Ahmad Zia Massoud (, born May 1, 1956) is an Afghan politician who was the
vice president of Afghanistan
The vice president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was the second highest political position attainable in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The vice presidents were elected on the same ticket as the President of Afghanistan, president. ...
in the first elected administration of President
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan politician who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014, including as the first president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014. He previously served a ...
, from December 2004 to November 2009.
[
] He is a younger brother of the late
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Ahmad Shāh Massoud (2 September 19539 September 2001) was an Afghan militant leader and politician. He was a guerrilla commander during the resistance against the Soviet occupation during the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979 to 1989. In the 19 ...
, the resistance leader against the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until it dissolved in 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by are ...
and against the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
. In late 2011, Ahmad Zia Massoud joined hands with major leaders in the
National Front of Afghanistan, which strongly opposed a return of the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
to power. The National Front was generally regarded as a reformation of the
United Front
A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...
(Northern Alliance) which with U.S. air support temporarily removed the Taliban from power in late 2001.
Biography
Ahmad Zia Massoud was born on May 1, 1956, in
Muqur district, which is located in
Ghazni province
Ghazni (; ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in southeastern Afghanistan. The province contains 19 Districts of Afghanistan, districts, encompassing over a thousand villages and roughly 1.3 million people, making it the 5th most ...
of Afghanistan. He attended the Lycée Esteqlal in
Kabul
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
.
In 1976, he was admitted to the
Polytechnical University of Kabul where he studied for three years.
Caught up in the tumultuous events in the country after the communist
Saur Revolution
The Saur Revolution (; ), also known as the April Revolution or the April Coup, was a violent coup d'état and uprising staged on 27–28 April 1978 (, ) by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which overthrew President of Afghan ...
he left the university and joined the
mujahideen
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' (), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' (), an Arabic term that broadly refers to people who engage in ''jihad'' (), interpreted in a jurisprudence of Islam as the fight on behalf of God, religion or the commun ...
led by his brother
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Ahmad Shāh Massoud (2 September 19539 September 2001) was an Afghan militant leader and politician. He was a guerrilla commander during the resistance against the Soviet occupation during the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979 to 1989. In the 19 ...
in the
Panjshir Valley north of Kabul.
From 1978 to 1981, Ahmad Zia directed the resistance forces of Paryan in Haut-Panjsher. Between 1981 and April 1992, his commander and brother Ahmed Shah Massoud named him special representative of the
Jamiat-e-Islami party to
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, where the seven principal parties of the Afghan resistance met.
During this period he maintained and increased contacts with political leaders of all the Afghan resistance movement, including diplomatic circles and international organizations.
He also traveled abroad to make the case for the mujahideen.
After the fall of the Soviet-backed communist regime,
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Burhānuddīn Rabbānī (; 20 September 1940 – 20 September 2011) was an Afghanistan, Afghan politician and teacher who served as the sixth president of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996, and again from November to December 2001 (in exile from 199 ...
, his father-in-law, chose him to be an advisor and special representative of the Islamic State of Afghanistan. The Taliban eventually took power in Kabul and established the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
. Ahmad Zia Massoud joined the anti-Taliban
United Islamic Front led by his brother
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Ahmad Shāh Massoud (2 September 19539 September 2001) was an Afghan militant leader and politician. He was a guerrilla commander during the resistance against the Soviet occupation during the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979 to 1989. In the 19 ...
. In the late 1990s, Ahmad Zia Massoud continued his political and diplomatic activities, working to raise the profile of Afghanistan on the international stage, and to call attention to the horrors of the Taliban.
In December 2001, after the fall of the Taliban regime, President
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan politician who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014, including as the first president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014. He previously served a ...
named him ambassador to the
Russian Federation
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
under
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
. In February 2004 Ahmad Zia's functions were extended to include the Republic of
Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
, and then in July of that year,
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
, and
Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
as well. He is the First Deputy of Zalmai Rassoul in the Afghanistan presidential elections of 2014.
On July 26, 2004, Karzai announced that he had chosen Ahmad Zia Massoud as his running mate over Defense Minister
Mohammad Qasim Fahim
Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim (; – 9 March 2014) was an Afghan military commander and politician and the 2nd Marshal of Afghanistan who served as Vice President of Afghanistan from June 2002 until December 2004 and from November 2009 until hi ...
in the October 9, 2004 presidential elections.
While campaigning in the 2004 elections a bomb was detonated at a political rally of Massoud in the northern Afghan city of Feyzabad. Two people were killed but Massoud emerged unscathed.
After several political disputes between Ahmad Zia Massoud and Hamid Karzai, the two men parted ways. In the 2009 presidential elections Karzai ran on an election ticket with
Mohammad Qasim Fahim
Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim (; – 9 March 2014) was an Afghan military commander and politician and the 2nd Marshal of Afghanistan who served as Vice President of Afghanistan from June 2002 until December 2004 and from November 2009 until hi ...
instead. In December 2009 another bomb blast is believed to have targeted Ahmad Zia Massoud. He emerged unharmed while 8 people were killed and 40 wounded.
National Front of Afghanistan

In late 2011, Ahmad Zia Massoud united major political anti-Taliban leaders in the
National Front of Afghanistan, which strongly opposes a return of the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
to power. The National Front retains significant military capabilities.
U.S. Congressman
Louie Gohmert wrote, "These leaders who fought with embedded Special Forces to initially defeat the Taliban represent over 60-percent of the Afghan people, yet are being entirely disregarded by the Obama and Karzai Administrations in negotiations."
In January 2012, Ahmad Zia Massoud,
Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum ( ; ; Uzbek language, Uzbek Uzbek alphabet, Latin: , Uzbek Uzbek alphabet, Cyrillic: , ; born 25 March 1954) is an Afghan former Officer (armed forces), military officer, warlord and exiled politician. He is the founder and ...
, leader of the Uzbek-dominated Junbish-i Milli,
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, one leader of the Hazara Shia Hezb-e Wahdat, and
Amrullah Saleh
Amrullah Saleh (Pashto/, ; born 15 October 1972) is an Afghan politician who served as the Vice President of Afghanistan, first vice president of Afghanistan from February 2020 to August 2021, and acting Ministry of Interior Affairs (Afghanist ...
, former director of the Afghan intelligence service NDS and leader of the Basij-e Milli, came together in a meeting with US congressmen in Berlin and signed a joint declaration:
The ''
Asia Times
''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kongbased English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
'' writes: "This is the first time that the leadership of the Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara communities
f Afghanistanhas come to a common line of thinking ... In essence, the Northern Alliance is being resuscitated as a political entity. ... As the Northern Alliance groups see it, Pakistani strategy is to wait out the period between now and 2014 - the date set for the US troop withdrawal - and then regroup the Taliban and make a bid to capture power in Kabul. Their strong show of unity in Berlin suggests that they will not roll over and give way to an exclusive US-Taliban-Pakistan settlement being imposed on their nation."
2014 presidential elections
In the 2014 presidential elections Ahmad Zia Massoud ran with then Foreign Minister Dr.
Zalmai Rassoul in the
2014 Afghan presidential election.
During the second round of the election he endorsed candidate Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. Publicly they had signed an agreement that Ahmad Zia Massoud would hold the position of chief executive officer under Ghani's administration. However, with the difficulties during the second round of the election between the two presidential candidates Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Ahmad Zia Massoud stepped aside leaving the position of chief executive officer to Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who had demanded the same position after losing the race.
Currently Ahmad Zia Massoud holds the position of The Special Representative of the President of Afghanistan in Reform and Good Governance.
Personal life
Ahmad Zia Massoud is married to a daughter of
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Burhānuddīn Rabbānī (; 20 September 1940 – 20 September 2011) was an Afghanistan, Afghan politician and teacher who served as the sixth president of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996, and again from November to December 2001 (in exile from 199 ...
. They have four children.
See also
*
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Ahmad Shāh Massoud (2 September 19539 September 2001) was an Afghan militant leader and politician. He was a guerrilla commander during the resistance against the Soviet occupation during the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979 to 1989. In the 19 ...
*
National Front of Afghanistan
*
Christian H. Cooper
*
Amrullah Saleh
Amrullah Saleh (Pashto/, ; born 15 October 1972) is an Afghan politician who served as the Vice President of Afghanistan, first vice president of Afghanistan from February 2020 to August 2021, and acting Ministry of Interior Affairs (Afghanist ...
*
Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq
*
Abdullah Abdullah
Abdullah Abdullah (Dari language, Dari, , ; born Abdullah; 5 September 1960) is an Afghan politician who led the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) from May 2020 until August 2021, when the Afghan government was Fall of Kabul (2021), ...
*
Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum ( ; ; Uzbek language, Uzbek Uzbek alphabet, Latin: , Uzbek Uzbek alphabet, Cyrillic: , ; born 25 March 1954) is an Afghan former Officer (armed forces), military officer, warlord and exiled politician. He is the founder and ...
*
Ustad Atta Mohammad Noor
*
Politics of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a theocracy, theocratic emirate with a Totalitarianism, totalitarian regime ruled by the Taliban, a political and miliant Islamism, Islamist movement adhere the Deobandi jihadism, Deobandi jihadist ideology with Pashtunwali influen ...
*
List of leaders of Afghanistan
External links
Official Facebook presence of Ahmad Zia Massoud*
*
Yahya Massoud (brother of Ahmad Zia Massoud) / Djeyhoun Ostowar (Jan 12, 2012): ''Perspectives and prospects of negotiating with the Taliban''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massoud, Ahmad Zia
Vice presidents of Afghanistan
1956 births
Living people
Afghan anti-communists
Afghan Sunni Muslims
Afghan Tajik people
Politicians of Ghazni Province
Jamiat-e Islami politicians
Ambassadors of Afghanistan to Russia
Ambassadors of Afghanistan to Armenia
Ambassadors of Afghanistan to Belarus
Ambassadors of Afghanistan to Moldova
Afghan diplomats