Afghan Retirees Decry Three Years of Unpaid Pensions

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By Rafiullah Anwari

Kabul, Afghanistan – A number of Afghan retirees are criticizing the Taliban for not paying their pensions over the past three years. According to these retirees, they have repeatedly approached relevant departments to claim their pensions, but their requests have been ignored by Afghanistan’s interim government.

This comes after Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the interim government, issued a decree at the beginning of the current solar year, canceling the system of pension deductions from government employees.

Abdul Mukhtar, who criticizes the hardships faced by retirees and the lack of attention from the interim government, said that he had worked for years as an employee in government offices. He retired seven years ago but has not received his pension for the last four years.

He stated that he has visited the interim government’s offices several times to claim his pension but has been rejected each time. Abdul Mukhtar, a retiree, said, “It’s been seven years since I retired. For four years, I haven’t received my pension. I’ve gone to the pension office multiple times, but they’ve turned me away. My family is now facing serious financial difficulties. We’ve spent the last three winters without proper resources, and this winter will be no different.”

The situation of Mohammad Sarwar is even more dire than Abdul Mukhtar’s. The poor economic conditions and the non-payment of his pension have cast a shadow over his and his family’s life. He says that since the Taliban returned to power, he has not received his pension.

Zarmeena, Sarwar’s wife, added, “Winter has arrived, but we have no resources to sustain our lives. The Taliban have not paid my husband’s pension. Our demand is for them to pay what is rightfully ours. My husband served in government offices for years.”

For three years now, no retiree in the country has received their pension, and the interim government has repeatedly stated that the issue of pensions is under review. However, no progress has been seen in this matter so far.