Gen-Z leaders exerted pressure for appointment of specific individuals as ministers: Nepal Interim PM Karki

Kathmandu [Nepal], February 3 (ANI): Nepal's interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki has revealed that the leaders of September's Gen Z movement exerted strong pressure on her to appoint specific individuals as ministers on board the interim government.
Addressing the national assembly for the very first time since the dissolution of the house of representatives and the new session of the upper house, Karki revealed the pressure on her to induct figures who had earlier resigned from ministerial posts to contest elections.
"As I was appointed as the interim Prime Minister on 12th of September (2025) the cabinet expansion took quite a time. The government was not formed under the leadership of political party as they have those specified members to go on board; I had to search for those from outside. At that time, I had a strong pressure from the Gen-Z, to bring on people from Gen-Z's. At that time came the name of Mahabir Pun, Kulman Ghising amongst the names, I had the pressure to include them and many other names were floated in at that time. Some of them came on board the cabinet as well, while some had rejected but the Gen-Z had pressured that you should take Kulman (Ghising), (Mahabir) Pun and then communication minister must be inducted and I personally requested them to remain on board the government saying that I have the pressure from the Gen-Z, the name of Bablu Gupta (former sports minister) also came from the Gen-Z's," Karki said.
Recalling the circumstances under which Pun joined the government, she said youth leader Sudan Gurung had personally brought him in. She further stated that, even at the time of appointment, she had agreed to allow some ministers, including Ghising, to leave the Cabinet if they chose to contest elections.
She shared that Pun was also inducted under similar circumstances and had left the cabinet dissatisfied with the government's inability to introduce the laws he advocated for.
Karki was appointed prime minister on September 12, 2025, a day after President Ramchandra Paudel exercised his constitutional authority to appoint her as head of an interim government following the September 8-9 protests and the resignation of then prime minister KP Sharma Oli.
She was given a six-month mandate to lead the country and hold elections by March 5, 2026, marking her tenure as Nepal's first female prime minister and executive head. (ANI)