Taliban Official's Appeal to Afghans in Germany: "Don't Trust the Media"

Abdul Bari Omar, Director of the Taliban's National Food and Drugs Administration, addressed Afghans in Cologne, Germany.

He urged the audience to judge the Taliban based on their "achievements," rather than media portrayals. In a video clip released by the Taliban official on social media, Omar's speech, which echoed the Taliban's unified governance under their leader, received support from those present.

The timing of the event is uncertain but coincides with Omar's visit to the Netherlands for the World Local Production Forum.

On 6 November, the Bakhtar News Agency, controlled by the Taliban, reported Omar's participation in the conference in the Hague, Netherlands.

Following his attendance at the Hague forum, Omar is said to have travelled to Germany at the invitation of an Afghan cultural activist.