Top updates: Nepal protest leaders propose former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim PM

Leaders of the protest against corruption and the government in Nepal on Wednesday proposed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to serve as the country’s interim prime minister, reported The New York Times.

Karki told CNN-News18 that she had accepted the protesters’ request.

Earlier in the day, the Nepali Army extended orders prohibiting public gatherings till 5 pm and said that after that, a nationwide curfew will be imposed till 6 am on Thursday amid the widespread protests, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Army claimed that “unruly groups” had infiltrated the protests and had carried out acts of vandalism, arson, looting, targeted attacks on individuals and property, and attempted sexual assaults.

It said that a curfew was necessary to safeguard security and urged citizens to support efforts to contain criminal activity, according to The Kathmandu Post.

On Tuesday, hours after Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned from his post, the Army said that it will assume control of security operations in the country from 10 pm as violent unrest continued for a second day in Kathmandu and other cities, PTI reported.

The Army’s Directorate of Public Relations and Information stated that some groups were taking “undue advantage of the difficult situation and causing severe damage to ordinary citizens and public property”.

All security agencies would be fully mobilised if violence continued, the statement added. It also urged citizens to refrain from destructive acts and help restore order.

The agitation was sparked by the Nepali government’s ban on 26 social media platforms, but evolved into a broader protest against alleged corruption and misgovernance. On Monday, protesters clashed with security forces, leading to the deaths of 19 persons. Around 400 protesters were injured in the clashes.

Amid pressure from the public, the Oli government lifted the social media ban on Monday night.

The demonstrations have been described as a protest mainly by “Gen Z”, generally referring to persons born between 1996 and 2010.

Also read: ‘There was no hope’: What sparked the violent protest in Nepal

Here are the other top updates:

• After consulting with the Army chief, leaders of the so-called “Gen Z” protests named Sushila Karki to head the interim government in the country, Rakshya Bam, a protest leader, told The New York Times. Karki was Nepal’s first female Chief Justice, a position she held from 2016 to 2017. 
• On Wednesday evening, Karki confirmed that she had accepted the protesters’ request. “Protesters have entrusted me to lead the interim government and ensure free and fair elections,” she told CNN-News18. “My first duty would be to honor those who lost their lives during the protests.” She added that her immediate priority would be to restore peace, hold elections and hand over power to the newly elected leadership.
• The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday announced that services at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport had resumed after nearly 24 hours. “Passengers travelling to the airport for flights are requested to contact their respective airline companies for flight information and to bring official airline tickets and identification documents with them when traveling,” ANI quoted the notice as saying.
• Earlier on Tuesday, the Army took control of the Kathmandu airport after protesters attempted to enter its premises.
• United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said that he was closely following the situation in Nepal and expressed sadness over the loss of life. “I urge a thorough investigation, restraint to avoid further escalation of violence & dialogue towards forging a constructive path forward,” he said on social media. “I call on the authorities to comply with human rights law. Protests must take place in a peaceful manner, respecting life & property.”
• The Army also took control of Singha Durbar, which is the Nepali government’s main secretariat building, PTI reported. This came after protesters burnt houses inside the complex.
• The Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s office said that more than 180 Telugu-speaking persons had been identified as being stranded in parts of Nepal, ANI reported. It said that state Minister Nara Lokesh was overseeing the rescue and safety measures. The state government was in contact with Naveen Srivastava, the Indian ambassador to Nepal.
• Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that his administration was in contact with India’s Ministry of External Affairs to arrange the safe return from Nepal of tourists and students from the state.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night said that he had attended a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to discuss the developments in Nepal and urged residents in the neighbouring country to support peace. “The violence in Nepal is heart-rending,” Modi said on social media. “I am anguished that many young people have lost their lives. The stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us. I humbly appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Nepal to support peace.”

• Protesters on Tuesday set fire to a building housing Nepal’s largest media house in Kathmandu, The Hindu reported. Kantipur Publications, which publishes the newspapers Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post, is based in the building that also houses other enterprises and offices.

• The Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu was also set on fire, among other establishments.

• Earlier on Tuesday, protesters also gathered around Oli’s private residence in Balkot town demanding his resignation and set fire to his house. The police fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Demonstrators also attacked the homes of other political leaders in Kathmandu, including the Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Paudel, Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak. Lekhak had resigned from his post on Monday.
• A video also emerged on Tuesday that showed Nepal’s Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel allegedly being chased on a road and thrashed by demonstrators, The Indian Express reported.

• The Nepali Army has appealed to the protesters to surrender weapons, ammunition and security equipment that may have been looted or discarded during the demonstrations. In a notice, the Army asked persons to hand over such items to the nearest security agency or personnel and urged citizens to report any misuse. It also warned against the unauthorised use of security force uniforms amid the demonstrations.

• India’s external affairs ministry on Tuesday urged to all citizens to defer travel to Nepal “until the situation is stablised”. The ministry also told Indians who are already in Nepal to “shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets and exercise all due caution”.