Dozens of veterans and government retirees set a protest nearby the Ministry of Finance in capital Kabul on Saturday, where they demanded their pensions.

They called on the Ministry of Finance to pay their pensions.

Some of the protestors said that they haven’t receive their pensions for more than one year.

“We don’t beg anyone. This is our right. Our money of pensions has been locked. We want our money,” said Shah Wazir, a veteran.

“I have served this country for 35 years. The pensions has been cut from our salaries,” said Aqa Gul, a retiree.

Aziz Ahmad, 65, said that pension is his only income and that he is now facing economic difficulties.

“I have problems of house rent, electricity and water,” he said.

Meanwhile, an official within the Ministry of Finance said that it has finalized a scheme about the payment of pension for the veterans and government retirees in the near future.

“The academy of science will handover its assessment to the cabinet and the assessment will be sent to the office of the Supreme Leader, and after that the department of pension will distribute pension to the retirees,” said Asadullah Sajid, head of the department of pension of the Finance Ministry.  

Based on available numbers, there are more than 160,000 veterans and retires of former governments registered in the Finance Ministry.