Retired employees and veterans expressed frustration over their economic problems, demanding the government pay their pension payments.  

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,” said Nisar Ahmad, a retired employee.  

“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.   

Female government retirees were also waiting in front of the department.

“I haven’t paid my rent for the past six months. We have a lot of problems this winter,” said Lailuma, a retired employee.  

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.  

“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.