Kathmandu: The inquiry commission formed to investigate incidents during the Gen-Z movement last September announced on Monday that it has lifted the travel ban imposed on former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, allowing him to leave the Kathmandu Valley as well as the country.
The commission decided to lift the restrictions after recording Oli’s statement regarding the incidents. Although Oli had previously questioned the neutrality of the commission and refused to appear before it, he ultimately cooperated with the inquiry.
“As the necessary inquiry work—including questioning him in connection with incidents on September 8 and 9, 2025 — has been completed, the justification for maintaining restrictions on his foreign travel and movement outside the Kathmandu Valley no longer exists. Therefore, the said restrictions have been lifted,” the commission said in a press release.
In late September last year, the commission had imposed travel restrictions on Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, along with former Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, former Chief of the National Investigation Department Hutaraj Thapa, and former Kathmandu Chief District Officer Chhabi Rijal, while probing the deadly suppression of youth protests.
During the two-day protests, as many as 77 people lost their lives, while public and private property worth more than NPR 84 billion was damaged, according to an assessment by a committee formed by the Nepali government.
Since the formation of the commission, Oli had repeatedly questioned its neutrality and had refused to appear at its office, frequently accusing commission chair Gauri Bahadur Karki of being biased against him. However, he eventually agreed to submit his statement.
Last week, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak testified before the commission, stating that he had not issued any order to open fire on protesters during the Gen-Z movement in early September. Statements from top security and administrative officials have already been recorded.
Following the Gen-Z protests, Nepal has undergone political change, with former Chief Justice Sushila Karki now leading the interim government, whose primary mandate is to conduct elections for the House of Representatives on March 5 this year.
(IANS)
