On October 27, Mohammed Jacob, the eldest son of Taliban founder Omar and the "acting defense minister" of the Afghan interim government, made his first public appearance, calling on local businessmen on television to invest in hospitals and clinics so that Afghans can access medical services in their home country.
Mohammed Jacob, who appeared at a military hospital in the capital Kabul, said in a speech to hospital staff, "Let's spend some money here, brothers of businessmen should come here to build hospitals, clinics, and doctors should come here," according to the Afghan National Radio and Television Station. "It is reported that the move marks the beginning of the Taliban's entry into the public eye and an attempt to improve its media image.
Years of war have devastated Afghan health care, with thousands of Afghans having to travel abroad to seek medical care, exacerbating chaos along the country's borders. Since the Taliban reoccupied Afghanistan on August 15 this year, afghanistan's economy has also stalled.
Mohammed Jacob (Image source: Screenshot of CCTV News)
When the Taliban first came to power in Afghanistan 20 years ago, then-supreme leader Omar rarely appeared in public, and the Taliban forbade others to take pictures of Omar. Even after Omar died of tuberculosis in 2013, it took more than two years for his death to be confirmed. However, after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, the ministries and "ministers" of the interim government it formed began to appear more open to the public.
Muhammad Jacob is the eldest son of Omar, born in 1990. In 2020, he was appointed head of the Taliban's military council and deputy head of military affairs.
Foreign Policy quoted a senior Taliban commander as saying on May 29 that Mohammed Jacob, who became the acting leader of the Taliban after Taliban supreme leader Akhnzada contracted the coronavirus, said: "Our hero, the son of our great son." In the absence of Akhonzada, leader Mohammed Jacob is managing the entire Taliban operation. (End)