The Taliban-run traffic police in Kandahar have not received salaries for seven months and are struggling to make ends meet, local sources said on Thursday.
Officers responsible for managing traffic flow, easing congestion and preventing road accidents have been working without pay since early this year, the sources said. Some, facing mounting financial strain, have resorted to asking drivers for help to cover basic expenses.
“These officers work their official shifts and then put in as much as eight hours of overtime each day, but they still have not been paid,” one source in Kandahar’s traffic department told Amu TV. “Their daily lives have become extremely difficult.”
The prolonged delay in salary payments has left many officers worried about their livelihoods, the sources added. The Taliban have not offered an explanation for the nonpayment.
Afghanistan’s public sector has faced repeated salary delays since the Taliban seized power in 2021 over various reasons.
