Dozens of women retirees gathered outside the Taliban-run pension office in Kabul on Tuesday, demanding long-delayed pension payments, before security forces dispersed them with violence, sources told Amu TV.
Witnesses said the women represented at least five government institutions, including the former Ministry of Education and the dissolved Afghan parliament. Videos shared with Amu showed the women assembled at the pension department gates as Taliban guards attempted to push them away.
Sources said some women were beaten during the confrontation. “We only asked for our pensions,” one participant said. “Instead, they used violence against us.”
Retirees in Afghanistan have repeatedly complained of dire economic conditions since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Many say they have gone months without payments and struggle to afford even a single meal a day for their families.
Taliban have not commented publicly on Tuesday’s incident.
