By Obinna Uballa
Calm returned to the streets of Nepal on Saturday after days of violent protests, as the country’s first female prime minister, former chief justice and anticorruption crusader Sushila Karki, assumed office as the head of an interim government, reports said.
Authorities lifted curfews and eased restrictions in Kathmandu, though some sensitive areas remain off-limits, signalling a tentative return to normalcy less than a week after deadly unrest that left at least 51 people dead.
Karki’s appointment followed two days of intense negotiations between President Ramchandra Paudel, army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, and protest leaders behind the Gen Z-led movement that forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
In a late Friday statement, President Paudel announced that Nepal’s 275-seat parliament had been dissolved and fresh elections would be held on March 5.
The protests, sparked by a controversial social media ban, quickly escalated into a nationwide revolt against corruption, nepotism, and economic hardship. Demonstrators torched parliament, political residences, and public buildings, while thousands of prisoners escaped during the chaos. Police said about 1,000 have been recaptured, but more than 12,500 remain at large.
Many young Nepalese have long voiced frustration at high unemployment and the growing exodus of workers to the Middle East, South Korea, and Malaysia, while accusing political elites of living in luxury.
News of Karki’s appointment drew swift international reaction. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her on X, saying, “India is fully committed to the peace, progress, and prosperity of Nepal’s brothers and sisters.” China has yet to formally comment, though it had earlier urged calm during the turmoil.
Analysts say the return of relative order marks Nepal’s most significant political transition in years, with the interim administration now tasked with stabilising the country and preparing for the March vote.
