Colonel Mohammad Waseem who served in the ranks of the Afghan National Army (ANA) for 37 years should be enjoying his retirement but instead struggles to make ends meet.

According to him, his pension totals 90,000 Afs a year but just in rent for his house he pays 10,000 Afs a month.

Waseem, who retired from the army 13 years ago, said: “They pay 90,000 pension but not on time, it is not sufficient to meet the needs of a family, but we have no option.”

According to some statistics, the number of military and civilian pensioners is estimated to be about 160,000 in Afghanistan.

“We are responsible for paying pensions but it depends on which department facilitates the payment - where these officers worked,” said Fatah Ahmadzai, a media advisor to the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD).

This is not however, the first time retired officers have made such complaints. They have said in the past the Afghan government is not addressing their problems.

“Whenever the government increases the salaries of serving military and civilian officers, the same amount of money should be increased against salaries of retired officers,” said Abdul Ali Saeed, chairman of the pensioners association.