8am: Several retirees are complaining about the Taliban’s failure to pay their pension benefits. They say nearly five years have passed without them receiving their pensions, and that they are living in difficult economic conditions. These retirees regard their pensions as a legal right earned through years of service and are demanding payment. Meanwhile, several economic experts warn that each retiree is, on average, the breadwinner for a large family of seven to ten members, and that the continuation of this situation could deepen poverty and trigger a humanitarian catastrophe among the society’s vulnerable groups. Gul Ahmad (pseudonym), one of the retirees who served in government for about 30 years, says that since the Taliban takeover, he has not received his pension and is enduring dire economic conditions. Click here to read more (external link).