Military veterans and retired employees gathered in front of the Directorate of Retiree Pensions in Kabul to voice their concerns over unpaid pensions.

The retirees warned that they would head to the streets if their problems are not addressed.

Yaqob Shah, 67, said that he was working in the security department of Balkh province but retired many years ago.  

Shah said that he came to Kabul from Balkh three months ago to collect his pension.  

“I started at the top. Trust me, I even sold my blanket. I have eight people in my family. I come here every day. I live here in travelers' lodging,” said Yaqoob Shah, a retiree. 

TOLOnews talked to several others who expressed frustration over their unpaid retiree pensions.  

“We are obliged to engage in protests and demonstrations,”  said Sayed Abdul Wahid, a retiree.  

“We are obliged to start a widespread civil movement. This is our right and it has been cut from our salaries,” said Abdullah Hakim, a retiree.   

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance said that it has considered the budget for retirees in the annual budget of the current 1402 solar year. 

“In the financial budget of 1402, a sufficient budget has been considered for the retirees. The Ministry of Finance is awaiting for instructions of the leadership,” said Ahmad Wali Haqmal, a spokesman for the MoF. 

Based on the figures of the Finance Ministry, more than 149,000 retirees, with 10,000 of them women, have not been paid.