A number of retirees gathered today (Wednesday) in front of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) office in Kabul, due to non-payment of their pensions.

They submitted a petition to the UNAMA office, requesting the representatives of this organization take action regarding the payment of retirees' pensions.

"Today we came to UNAMA for our rights. We have gone to the Ministry of Finance several times in the past four years, but they always give us a negative answer," Mohammad Sabir, a retiree, told TOLOnews.

"We want our rights. It is our rightful claim, they must give it to us. We served for forty years, they deducted from our salaries, they must pay us," said Sayed Agha, another retiree.

Other retirees mentioned that the non-payment of their pensions by the Islamic Emirate has multiplied their daily challenges.

"Each retiree has fifteen dependents. If you calculate, it becomes five million people. If these five million people become disappointed with this government, they will be forced to move to another country," said Mohammad Omar, another retiree.

"We have no life. We can't face our families out of shame. For God's sake, why don't they give us our rights and inquire about our situation?" said Abdul Khaliq, another protesting retiree.

They said that they have repeatedly knocked on the doors of the Ministry of Finance, the pension fund, and other institutions for the payment of their pensions, but have not received a clear answer so far.