Among the many retired civil servants, Ghulam Hazrat, an elderly man who spent over a decade working for the Kabul Municipality, now struggles to make ends meet.

He says he survives by pushing a handcart through the streets.

Ghulam Hazrat said: "I collect garbage. I pay 1,200 for room rent. This is how my days and nights pass. The only thing I had was my pension—now I have no other income."

Mohammad Saber, another retiree, added: "The leader of the Islamic Emirate himself issued a decree. It's been five months since then, but the decree hasn’t been implemented by any department in Kabul."

Elsewhere, a number of retirees have gathered at the Pension Fund office, hoping for any sign that their long-awaited pensions might finally be paid.

They are urging the Islamic Emirate to immediately release their payments.

Mohammad Taher, a retiree, said: "We’ve been going from door to door for four years. It’s been five months since the decree was issued, yet still nothing has been done. Our problems are overwhelming."

Abdul Majid, another retiree, stated: "We poor, elderly, and suffering people with heart disease and diabetes must receive our pensions. Everyone is helpless and desperate. Our request of the Islamic Emirate is to give us our pensions."

Although the Islamic Emirate has yet to announce a specific date for the pension payments, earlier this year, on Jadi 1, 1403 (December 22, 2024), the Emir issued a decree instructing the Supreme Court to convene a special court based on Sharia and law to find a solution for the pension disbursements.