Retired government personnel want their pensions paid

KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of retired government service members in capital Kabul have complained against deteriorated economic problems and said they did not get their pensions from the past two years.

During an exclusive interview some retired service members told Pajhwok Afghan News they did not get their pensions from the past two years.

Akhtar Mohammad, one of the retired service members and the resident of Kabul’s 2nd Municipality District who served as an employee of the Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry, said he did not received his pensions for 2021 and 2022.

“Every time we visit the pension department to get our rights, they say that it will be paid today or tomorrow, and we are confused.”

He referred to the Treasury Department in Marcoryan area of Kabul to get his pension; he referred to his sick grandchild and said he did not have money for their treatment.

Akhar Mohammad said: “We don’t want charity, we came here and want our rights from the government, my grandson are sick and I don’t have money their treat him.”

Mohammad Afzal, another retired service member, also gathered in front of the Treasury Office and demanded his pension to be paid.

He said: “Our money has set aside and we need to be paid. We have been wandering for two years and there has been no government authority that we have not conveyed our problem, in response they tell us that the pensions will be issued today and tomorrow. The retired personnel come from remove places and even they do not have the fare for their return.”

He asked the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) to address their problem.

Mirwais, another retired service member from the 9th Police District of capital Kabul in the past served in the Ministry of Defence, also complained that he did not received his pension.

“My demand from the government is to give us a yes or no answer so that we can understand whether we can get it or not, when and how. if so, when, what day, and if it is not possible to say that we are not able, we do not have money, we will not give it to you,” he said.

He complained against the deteriorated economic problems and said: “We don’t have anything to arrange food for ourselves, the house owner is demanding rent and when we go out of house we hide our face to hide from shopkeepers because they demand their loan and we don’t have money.”

“I am a retired military officer, during Republic regime there were problems but still we go our money, but since the IEA took charge there our pension had not paid, we have many problems and every day we get promises that our pensions will be paid.”

Relevant IEA officials could not reached for comment over the issue despite several attempts made by Pajhwok Afghan News.

Finance Ministry Spokesperson Ahmad Wali Haqmal said: “I am sorry on the retired personnel issue I could not say anything.”

According to another Pajhwok Afghan News report a total 149,868 retired personnel existed out of which 10,586 are women and the remaining are men.

Based on the information from the Retired Service members Association (RSA) in 2021 the number of civilian retired personnel in Afghanistan was 92,254 and military retired personnel was 56,627.

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