Afghanistan: Military veterans, retired employees voice concerns over unpaid pensions

Kabul [Afghanistan], May 3 (ANI): Many military veterans and retired employees residing in the country have voiced their concerns over unpaid pensions, TOLOnews reported.

They gathered before the Directorate of Retiree Pensions in Kabul to complain about unpaid pensions and threatened to take to the streets if their issues are not resolved. Afghanistan is currently grappling with a serious humanitarian crisis as according to international assessments, the country now has the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world.

The economic and political situation of Afghanistan has taken a turn for the worse since the Taliban took control of the country in mid-August of 2021.

Yaqob Shah, 67, claimed to have worked in the Balkh province’s security division before retiring many years ago. Shah said that three months ago, he travelled from Balkh to Kabul to pick up his pension

“I started at the top. Trust me, I even sold my blanket. I have eight people in my family. I come here every day. I live here in travelers’ lodging,” said Shah.

Other people TOLOnews spoke with expressed anger over their unpaid pensions.
Sayed Abdul Wahid said, “We must launch a significant civil movement.”

Another retiree stated, “This is our right and it has been taken away from our salaries,” according to the Afghan news agency.

Apart from the problem of pensions, the country is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis. People are deprived of their basic rights to work, and education has been restricted to boys, with girls and women strictly not being allowed to attend schools or work in NGOs.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, thousands of Afghans fled Afghanistan to the neighbouring countries fearing persecution and death threats. Most of these people entered host countries through illegal channels, now facing serious problems including forceful deportation and imprisonment.