Nepal Interim PM to delay release of Gen-Z protest report

Kathmandu [Nepal], March 8 (ANI): Nepal's Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday said that the detailed report of the high-level investigation commission on Gen-Z protest will not be released anytime soon, as the interim government will now be involved in the handover to the newly elected government.
Karki announced the decision after receiving the over 900 paged document at a closed-door event held at her office, as per the video of the event released by her secretariat.
"Regarding its implementation, we won't be in power till that time as we have to handover authority to the upcoming government, and I am confident that they'll study it and implement it in the coming days. For now, we will also study it- I, along with the Home Minister, will be involved in this process and also present it to the cabinet amongst all the sitting ministers. Possibly after that, we might move forward towards releasing it. We won't be releasing all the detailed accounts, but the crux of it," Karki said on Sunday.
The judicial commission under the chairmanship of former Chief Justice Gauri Bahadur Karki was formed on September 21 last year by Shushila Karki.
Formed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1969, the panel was tasked with identifying the causes behind the violence, vandalism, looting, and arson, and recommending action. It has the power to summon individuals, collect evidence from government or public offices, require document submissions, and recommend action for non-cooperation.
"It should be implemented. Though the new government is responsible for putting it into practice, the suggestions that we have given would help to prevent these kinds of incidents from recurring. In the report, we have given the recommendations based on fields where improvements are required. The incidents as such happened because of the maladministration, in order to maintain good governance all, the national bodies and authorities needs reform, we also have given measures for it," Gauri Bahadur Karki, the former Chief Justice and the head of the investigation committee, said in the event.
The commission also had received about 300 complaints of personal losses, police reports, and photos and videos. The inquiry commission also had recorded statements from Nakkhu Prison chief Satyaraj Joshi and Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane, who was in judicial custody at the time and walked out when protesters reached the prison on September 9.
"The report is above nine hundred pages, which also consists of the sub-sections. If we combine all the documents and evidence, then it will be a total of between eight and ten thousand pages. The incidents of September 8 and 9 have been analysed in detail," Bigyanraj Sharma, another member of the commission, had briefed the media after submission of the report.
According to the commission, statements from around 30 security personnel, including police constables and officers, were completed in November itself. During the quiz, the officials were asked how the situation escalated to firing on September 8 and how the protest turned to vandalism and arson the following day.
"This has only been possible because of their tireless efforts. They've done an in-depth study, and they've used their personal experience of being in a top position in the police, while in the judicial body or the legal field, those people with the experience, I am really hopeful that they have made the issue crystal clear. It would help the nation a lot, and it indeed is a topic of study. If any incidents of this scale happen in the future, then it can be taken as a reference," Interim Prime Minister Karki said.
The two-day Gen Z movement on September 8 and 9 unseated the KP Sharma Oli government, where at least 77 people were killed as the government tried to suppress the protestors.
After three days of deliberations, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed the interim Prime Minister of the nation, who had recommended dissolving the parliament.
Upon Karki's recommendation, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12 and announced fresh polls for March 5, 2026. (ANI)