PressAdda
Kathmandu – Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) met Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Wednesday morning at Baluwatar to express his dissatisfaction over the lack of action against those responsible for the violent crackdown on the Gen-Z movement. Balen specifically questioned why, even weeks after the formation of the interim government, no arrests had been made of those who ordered or executed the shootings during the September 8 (Bhadra 23) protest, which claimed 19 lives on the first day.
During the meeting, PM Karki asked Balen about the public sentiment. Balen responded by emphasizing the urgency of addressing the demands of the Gen-Z movement and warned that public frustration could escalate if justice was delayed. Sources close to Balen said that even the victims’ families are demanding accountability.
PM Karki reportedly assured Balen that she is serious about the issue, saying, “We are working on it. Those who committed atrocities and abused power will not be granted impunity.”
The conversation lasted about 30 minutes. Balen has been a vocal supporter and facilitator of the Gen-Z movement. After the September 9 (Bhadra 24) destruction, he met with Army Chief Ashokraj Sigdel and later publicly advocated for Gen-Z to negotiate directly with the army, dissolve parliament, and form an interim government.
Following this, the army facilitated the dialogue, and with Balen’s backing, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim Prime Minister. The government has since formed a judicial commission led by former Justice Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate the crackdown, but the commission has yet to begin its work due to administrative delays at the Home Ministry.
So far, there has been no official announcement of arrests, but PM Karki’s remarks suggest that accountability measures may be forthcoming.
Prime Minister Karki to Address the Nation Today
Prime Minister Sushila Karki is scheduled to address the nation this evening. According to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the address will take place at 6 PM on Thursday. A cabinet meeting is set for 4 PM, followed by the national address at 6 PM.
This will be Prime Minister Karki’s first address to the nation since assuming leadership of the interim government formed in the aftermath of the Gen-Z movement. She was appointed Prime Minister on September 12 (Bhadra 27) following the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was triggered by the events of September 8 and 9 (Bhadra 23 and 24).
The interim government under Karki has announced elections for March 4 (Fagun 21), and its primary mandate is to conduct those elections within the six-month transitional period.
