Nepal lifts prohibitory orders

The government of Nepal on Saturday lifted the nationwide curfew and prohibitory orders imposed earlier this week following violent protests against corruption and misgovernance, The Himalayan Times reported.

With the curfew lifted, traffic resumed and shops reopened in Kathmandu and other parts of the country, the newspaper reported.

The decision came a day after former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as the country’s interim prime minister.

Karki, who has become the first woman to lead Nepal, was administered the oath of office by President Ramchandra Paudel. The president also announced that the elections of the House of Representatives will be held in six months.

The country was plunged into a political crisis earlier this week after protests sparked by the Nepali government’s ban on 26 social media platforms. Although the Oli government lifted the social media ban on Monday night, the agitation evolved into a broader protest against alleged corruption and misgovernance.

The demonstrations have been described as a protest mainly by “Gen Z”, generally referring to persons born between the late 1990s and 2010.

At least 51 persons have been killed in the protests so far.

This included at least 21 protesters and three security personnel, police Spokesperson Binod Ghimire told AFP.

Ghimire added that more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from several jails in the country during the protests are still on the run.

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