Army extends curfew in Nepal, push for interim government gains momentum
Kathmandu (The Uttam Hindu): Today is the fourth day of protests in Nepal. The protesting Gen-Z has supported the name of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the next Prime Minister of the country. After this, efforts to form an interim government have intensified. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the army has extended the curfew and prohibitory orders imposed in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts till 6 am on Friday (September 12).
In a statement issued by the army, it was said that vehicles and institutions related to essential services will be able to operate for a limited time. Keeping in mind the needs of the public, shops selling daily goods will remain open from 6 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm. During this time, citizens have been appealed to shop in small groups.
The supply of essential goods and food items has come to a halt due to the violence, arson and protests going on for four consecutive days. The transportation of other goods has also been affected after the fall of the government. It is feared that the prices of essential goods may increase rapidly in the coming days.
A protester in Kathmandu said, “Running a country is not easy. It requires experience. Sushila Karki is the right choice because she has administrative experience.” Nepal has been going through a political crisis in recent times due to social media ban, government resignation and Gen-Z movement. Kathmandu Metropolitan Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has also supported the name of Sushila Karki. However, many protesters are also demanding that Shah be made the interim Prime Minister.
Anger sparked by social media ban
On 8 September, the government banned major social media platforms citing tax and cyber security. This move was not liked by the public and turned into protests. So far at least 30 people have died and more than 500 have been injured in these protests. Curfew has been imposed in many cities to bring the situation under control. The main demand of the protesters is to end institutional corruption and nepotism in the government. After the luxurious lifestyle of the children of politicians was exposed on social media, anger over the economic inequality between the public and the political class has increased further.