Afghan Retirees Urge Support To Claim Pensions From Taliban
On Saturday, a large group of retired government workers protested outside the Taliban’s Pension Administration, demanding unpaid salaries.
They appealed to Afghans to “stand with us to claim our rights from the Taliban” and urged the international community to pressure the Taliban to release owed pensions.
In a video clip sent to Afghanistan International, a retiree accused the Taliban of four years of broken promises, revealing he lacked bread during Eid al-Fitr and sold his carpet to survive.
Since seizing Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban halted pension payments, exacerbating economic hardship amid rising poverty, unemployment, and soaring prices for essentials.
Retirees say the absence of pensions has plunged their lives into severe difficulty. Three months ago, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada directed pension cases to special courts, but protesters claim this has only sown confusion without delivering results.
