RASC News Agency: As winter approaches, numerous retirees, who have been deprived of their pensions for the past three years, express that the Taliban show no compassion towards them or their families. These individuals emphasize that their family members, due to poverty and deprivation, often go to bed hungry, yet the Taliban steadfastly refuse to release the pensions they are rightfully owed.
One such retiree, who spent 29 years working as a servant at Kabul’s 400-bed hospital, has not received his pension since the Taliban regained power. He explains that many nights, his family endures hunger, while the Taliban remain indifferent to their plight. “For three years now, we haven’t received our pensions. I am ill, and I can’t even afford to buy my medication,” he states.
Another retiree, whose back has been bent by years of labor in Kabul’s municipal services, finds himself in an even more desperate condition. To survive, he has been forced to continue working. He pleads, “We desperately need our pensions. We can’t cover basic household expenses; we’re barely getting by.”
The situation of these retirees mirrors the experiences of many others who have faced similar hardships following the collapse of the Republic and the Taliban’s return to power. Another retiree voices his frustration, saying, “We committed no wrong. We made no mistakes. We worked for years, and during those years, part of our wages were deducted to fund these pensions. This is our right, and we demand to receive what belongs to us.”
According to reports, there are currently around 150,000 retirees across the country. However, Taliban officials have declared pensions as forbidden (Haram) under Islamic law, and, in accordance with a decree issued by their reclusive leader, Mullah Haibatullah, all pension payments have been suspended.
