Retirees have once again criticized the Taliban for failing to pay their pensions over the past three years, citing worsening economic conditions and increasing hardship.
Former public servants and military personnel, who served under previous governments, say they have repeatedly approached Taliban offices to claim their pensions but have been met with indifference.
The frustration follows a decree issued earlier this year by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which abolished the system of collecting pension contributions from government employees. The move has left many retirees without the financial support they had been expecting.
Abdul Mukhtar, who worked as a government employee for many years before retiring seven years ago, said he has not received any pension payments in the last four years. “I retired seven years ago, and for the past four years, I have not received my pension. I’ve visited the Taliban’s retirement office several times, but they refuse to help,” Mukhtar said. “My family is facing severe economic challenges. We’ve endured three winters without any support, and this winter will be no different.”
Mohammad Sarwar, another retiree, described how his family’s financial situation has steadily worsened. “Since the Taliban took over, I haven’t received my pension, and it has plunged my family into darkness,” Sarwar said. His wife, Zarmeena, expressed similar concerns. “Winter is here, but we have no resources. The Taliban have not paid my husband’s pension. He served Afghanistan for many years, and we just want what we are owed.”
The issue has sparked widespread criticism. Akhundzada’s decree, which also instructed the Ministry of Finance to stop deducting pension contributions from government employees’ salaries, has been condemned by citizens, retirees, and civil servants alike, many of whom rely on these payments to survive.
As economic conditions continue to deteriorate across the country, the plight of retirees like Mukhtar and Sarwar underscores the broader struggles many Afghans are facing under the Taliban’s rule.
