Kabul’s disabled and martyrs’ families call for overdue pension payments

KABUL (TOLO News): A number of disabled individuals and families of martyrs in the capital have once again complained about pension cuts and non-payment of their dues.

They face significant economic challenges and are calling on the Islamic Emirate to disburse their pensions.

Hayatullah, 52, who lost a leg over 30 years ago in the internal conflicts, mentioned that it has become difficult for him to cover the expenses for his family of eight.

“We are in need, what else can I say? Sometimes we have bread, sometimes we don’t. It would be good if our pensions were paid,” Hayatullah told TOLOnews.

Bismillah, another disabled individual, stated: “The previous government used to pay us 60,000 Afghanis, but now we only receive 11,000 Afghanis and haven’t received anything more.”

Belqis, a family member of a martyr, said, “I work in people’s homes to support my family and I want the government to pay our pensions monthly.”

Mia Rahman, another disabled individual, expressed, “It’s true that I am disabled, but my young children need to live. Look at my condition, I cannot work.”

Officials from the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled stated that pensions are distributed through a mechanism that verifies disabilities and pays based on the degree of disability.

Kalimullah Afghan, head of the finance department of the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, explained why some pensions are not paid: “Some disabled claim that they haven’t received their pensions, which could be for two reasons: either their disability does not qualify under our law, or they are only physically disabled and have no mental impairment.”

According to the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, over 600,000 beneficiaries are registered, more 100,000 of whom are disabled.