SAEDNEWS: Nepal’s interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki urged calm and pledged reforms after violent anti-corruption protests led by Gen Z left at least 72 dead. Protesters demand an end to graft, fair governance, and justice for victims.
According to Saed news; Nepal has entered one of the most turbulent chapters in its modern history. Following days of violent unrest that left at least 72 people dead and hundreds injured, the country’s newly appointed interim prime minister, Sushila Karki, made her first public address on Sunday, calling for unity and reform.
The 73-year-old former chief justice was thrust into leadership after the resignation of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli amid mounting chaos. Her appointment, announced late Friday by President Ramchandra Paudel, came after intense negotiations between protest leaders, the presidency, and the military. Parliament was dissolved and new elections were scheduled for March 5.
“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki declared in her televised remarks, directly addressing the demographic that has led the nationwide protests. “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance, and economic equality.”
The latest turmoil began after authorities briefly banned social media, sparking outrage among Nepal’s young population. Tens of thousands poured into the streets, fueled by anger over decades of corruption, poverty, and political stagnation.
The protests escalated dramatically when police opened fire on demonstrators in the capital, Kathmandu, on Monday. By week’s end, government buildings, the president’s office, and the homes of several senior politicians had been set ablaze.
“This is the worst unrest Nepal has witnessed in decades,” said Prakash Budathoki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health. “Bodies of people trapped in burning buildings are still being recovered.”
Karki herself admitted she had not sought power. “My name was brought from the streets,” she said, reflecting the protesters’ demand for a figure seen as untainted by party politics. She pledged that her government would serve no longer than six months, promising to hand power back to parliament after new elections.
On Sunday, she observed a minute of silence for those killed in the protests and pledged financial compensation of 1 million rupees (around $11,300) to each bereaved family.
At the heart of the unrest is Nepal’s Gen Z population, which has grown increasingly frustrated with systemic corruption. Sudan Gurung, the 36-year-old founder of the NGO Hami Nepal (“We Are Nepal”), emerged as one of the leading figures in the movement.
“I will make sure that power lies with the people and bring every corrupt politician to justice,” Gurung vowed, as he and his colleagues began discussions over filling key government positions.
Human rights organizations quickly weighed in. Amnesty International warned that Nepal stands “at a turning point where the hard work of securing human rights for all could be built upon or sent into reverse.” A joint statement by rights groups demanded an end to the “impunity of the past” and accountability for state violence.
For many families, the political shift comes too late. At Kathmandu’s Teaching Hospital, Karuna Budhathoki described waiting to claim her 23-year-old nephew’s body. “While his friends backed off [from the protests], he decided to go ahead,” she said quietly. “We were told he was brought dead to the hospital.”
As Nepal looks ahead to elections in March, the path remains uncertain. Karki’s government has promised calm and reform, but the pressure from an energized youth movement and grieving families is unlikely to subside quickly.
Whether the interim leadership can channel this unprecedented moment of unrest into lasting political transformation—or whether the country will slide back into instability—remains to be seen.
