Afghanistan: Retirees demands Taliban regime to pay pension amid financial crisis

Kabul [Afghanistan], November 27 : As Afghanistan witnessed a severe financial crisis, retired employees and veterans have expressed their frustration over their economic problems and demanded the Taliban regime to pay their pension payments, local media reported.
According to Tolo News, dozens of retired employees and veterans who served during the previous government gathered in front of the department of retirement.
"We demand our rights. My family needs my support and I can't help them. When we go to the department, they delay it," Tolo News quoted Nisar Ahmad, a retired employee as saying.
"They say there is no money at the bank and the system is broken. All the retired employees are here but they don't pay us. We don't have money to even buy bread," said Gul Khan.
"I haven't paid my rent for the past six months. We have a lot of problems this winter," said Lailuma, a retired employee.
Meanwhile, the department of government pensions and the retirement directorate said that the government was working on a plan to facilitate the payments for retired government employees and veterans, Tolo News reported.
"Approximately 9.2 billion Afs have been paid for the civil and military retired employees. But around 30,000 retired employees have yet to be paid," said Mohammad Yahya Tareen, head of the department.
The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, causing the US-backed government to step down. Later in September, the outfit announced the composition of the new interim government of Afghanistan.
The country is currently battered by the deepening economic, humanitarian, and security crisis following the Taliban takeover. The international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people.