Nepal Protests Escalate: Gen Z Pushes for Interim Government as Army Enforces Curfew
Kathmandu remains under curfew after Nepal’s week of violent anti-government protests left at least 34 people dead and over 1,300 injured, according to the Health Ministry. What began on 4 September as a student-led backlash against a sudden ban on 26 social media platforms has spiralled into the country’s most serious political crisis in years, forcing Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign and plunging the Himalayan nation into uncertainty over interim leadership.
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| Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki is the most popular name in Nepal now. Via Routine of Nepal Banda |
“Right now, we need an interim government, for which we have proposed the name of Sushila Karki,” protest leader Ojaswi said on Thursday, stressing that the constitution would remain in place but require amendments.
Karki, Nepal’s first female chief justice, confirmed she had been approached and said she would accept if formally appointed.
At least 19 people were killed in Nepal when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters attempting to storm parliament over a social media ban and alleged corruption https://t.co/eiMLGH6WRN pic.twitter.com/WVle2tAjlD
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 8, 2025
Talks between the protesters, President Ramchandra Paudel, and Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel are ongoing, with other names under discussion, including technocrat Kul Man Ghising, who ended Nepal’s chronic power cuts, and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah.
The army has declined to comment on candidates but acknowledged discussions were focused on “finding a way out of the stalemate.”
The unrest began after the government’s social media ban, seen as a gag on dissent.
Hashtags such as #NepoKids, targeting political dynasties, quickly trended. On 8 September, peaceful marches escalated after police opened fire near parliament, killing 19 in one day.
By 9 September, protesters stormed parliament, the Supreme Court, and government buildings, torching the presidential office and private residences.
Kantipur Media Group, Nepal’s largest news organisation, was forced offline after its office was set ablaze.
'The voices of Nepal were suppressed:' Nepali youth shared their hopes for the future following days of demonstrations that forced the prime minister to resign pic.twitter.com/rdOmRcqzew
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 11, 2025
Prime Minister Oli resigned on 9 September, reportedly taking refuge at an army barracks as demonstrators torched his home. The army imposed curfews, sealed borders with India, and announced roundups after 13,500 prisoners escaped from jails nationwide amid the chaos.
At least 192 fugitives have since been recaptured, including some detained at the Indian border and handed back by the Sashastra Seema Bal.
Nepal’s President Paudel has appealed for calm, while former king Gyanendra Shah issued a rare statement urging restraint, declaring: “No system or ideology is greater than civic freedom.”
Armed soldiers guarded Nepal's parliament amid streets deserted after indefinite curfew was clamped on the capital Kathmandu https://t.co/tW8J75bw9H pic.twitter.com/qfA0babhHW
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 10, 2025
The violence has triggered large-scale evacuations of Indian citizens. Andhra Pradesh confirmed that 144 Telugu nationals were airlifted from Kathmandu on Thursday, while Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said 23 Odias were safely returned.
Air India and IndiGo resumed flights to Kathmandu, operating special services to clear the backlog. Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and other state governments have also coordinated with India’s Ministry of External Affairs to bring back stranded tourists.
Indian political leaders across party lines have urged caution.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur said New Delhi was “taking all appropriate measures to evacuate and save Indian nationals,” while NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule called for an all-party meeting on Nepal. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stressed that “it is better if the Government of India speaks on it.”
Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli stepped down amid escalating anti-corruption protests, a day after 19 people were killed and over 100 injured in violent clashes near parliament in Kathmandu https://t.co/ZkoIKpaMMD pic.twitter.com/MtgyWqZcpM
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 9, 2025
On the ground, hospitals remain overwhelmed, with Civil Hospital, Kathmandu treating 436 patients. Volunteers have begun clearing rubble, while citizens rushed to markets during short curfew breaks to stock up on rice and vegetables.
What lies ahead remains unclear. The army has not specified whether it will directly govern or back a civilian interim authority. Protest leaders insist on elections within six months.