KABUL (SW) – A number of former servicemen have told Salam Watandar that they are living in despair after the recent developments in Afghanistan.
They complain that their economic situation has deteriorated since the Islamic Emirate took charge.
Farid Khan, a former spokesman for the Nangarhar Police Command, is one of the former service members living in poverty and unemployment. He said his wife has cancer and he has spent all of his savings on her treatment. “Our economic situation is still not good,” said Farid Khan. “I have been unemployed for nine months, I am also sick at home, I am facing a lot of problems, I have not found a job yet.”
Jamshid Ahmad Nazari, the former commander of the Paktia National Police Training Center, says someone else has been hired to replace him. He also complains about his poor economic situation, saying that he has not received any salary or assistance since the recent developments.
A national security officer, who did not want to be named, also told Salam Watandar that he was working hard to provide for his family. “Unfortunately, right now we have no flour or oil in the house. I go by day, I work as a laborer, if there is no work then I come home empty. I have no salary at the moment and no source of income.”
The poor economic situation has even affected a number of former senior commanders. One of these commanders, on condition of anonymity, told Salam Watandar that he was facing severe economic problems.
He said he had received professional training in security. The former commander called the sacking of former soldiers as painful.
Meya Gul Khalid, a former service member, said that in addition to the poor economic situation, the former military men were also suffering from mental health problems.
The former soldiers call on the Islamic Emirate to recruit them into the country’s security services.
A number of military experts emphasized that the former military men had no role in determining Afghanistan’s policy and that if not hired by the Islamic Emirate, terrorist groups would inevitably use them.
Assadullah Nadim, a military expert, said: “I think it is morally cruel towards them as their families are in trouble. Other groups may take advantage of their coercion.”
Samar Sadat, another military expert, also believed that the pensions and salaries of the former government’s soldiers should be paid by the caretaker government and their safety should be taken into consideration.
However, Bilal Karimi, the deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said there is a plan to provide jobs for former soldiers. He emphasized that qualified former soldiers will be recruited into the security services.
ENDS
