KABUL (SW) – A group of retired Afghan women has reported that they have not received their pensions for the past three years, causing them significant hardship in meeting their basic needs.
Rona, a former teacher who retired five years ago, shared her struggles with Salam Watandar. She explained that the non-payment of her pension has forced her to seek work in other people’s homes to support herself and her children.
She said: “We have not received any of our pensions, and we haven’t been given any updates. Whenever we inquire about our pensions, we are told there is no information available. It has been a long time since we last received our pensions. I am the head of my family, with children to care for, and my husband is deceased. I live in a rented house and don’t know what to do. What should we eat? What will my orphaned children eat? I have been working as a laborer in someone’s home, doing laundry and other chores.”
Several other retired women in the report revealed that, following the rise of the Islamic Emirate and the non-payment of their pensions, they have had to sell their household belongings to cover their family’s basic needs.
Nazifa, a 57-year-old who retired after at least 25 years of service in government offices during the Republic era, expressed her frustration, saying, “Why isn’t the government paying our pensions? They are not paying out of their own pockets; this is our right. It was deducted from our salaries, and we should receive it. I live in a rented house and have nothing left to sell. I am sick, and my husband is also retired. We have no other means of support. I urge the Islamic Emirate to pay our pensions. They have been saying the same thing for three years.”
Meanwhile, officials from the retirees’ union said they have reported multiple attempts to discuss pension payments with the Islamic Emirate authorities over the past three years, but they have yet to reach a resolution.
Effendi Sangar, head of the union, stated: “Pensions have not been paid — neither for men nor women. We have reported these issues to the authorities, but they remain unresolved. Until the Amir al-Mu’minin gives an order, the problem will persist.”
On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance officials have indicated that a plan for paying pensions has been finalized and they are currently awaiting directives from the leadership of the Islamic Emirate.
Ahmad Wali Haqmal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, said: “There has been no directive from the leadership of the Islamic Emirate regarding the payment or non-payment of pensions. Once we receive instructions from the leadership, we will implement them accordingly.”
According to the Ministry of Finance, there are nearly 149,000 retirees registered, including 10,000 women.
