Nepal's Gen-Z Demands Justice: Karki Commission Report Awaits New Government

The commission, led by former Justice Gauri Bahadur Karki, submitted its report on March 8 to the current government led by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki.

The activists have been mounting protests, demanding the release of the much‑anticipated Karki Commission report, a document that many believe could reshape the country's accountability framework.

The commission, formed on September 21, 2025, was mandated to investigate the crackdown on the Gen-Z protest on September 8, 2025, and the incidents of vandalism and arson the following day, reported the Kathmandu Post.

The deadline was extended several times after it failed to finish the work within the three-month deadline, it said, adding that the tenure was first extended by one month on December 18, 2025, then by 20 days on January 22, 2026 and by 25 days on February 9, 2026.

The interim government may not release the report in a hurry due to the sensitivity and over national security concerns.

This decision has triggered a wave of activism, particularly among Nepal's younger generation, who see the withholding of the report as a sign of the state's reluctance to confront its own excesses.

A senior government functionary, claiming to be in the know, told IANS that in all likelihood the report will be handed over to the new government after it assumes office, which is "very soon".

In elections held on March 5, Nepal's comparatively newer political party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) swept to power, projecting engineer-rapper Balendra Shah as its prime ministerial face.

Balendra Shah, who enjoys phenomenal following on social media, quit Kathmandu's mayoral office to join the RSP and successfully challenged deposed Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the latter's home turf of Jhapa-5 constituency.

His posts were said to have been the driving force behind the Gen‑Z protestors, who had taken to the streets last year driven by frustrations over unemployment, corruption, and the perceived failure of political elite to deliver reforms.

The new government is expected to finally decide on the future course of action on the probe report, which is believed to have implicated senior politicians and officials in authorising excessive force.

The interim government is thus seen as reluctant to release the report fearing destabilising what many term as a fragile calm.

Officials argue that making public the sensitive details could inflame tensions, and can be exploited by hostile actors. But critics dismiss this as a pretext for shielding the state from accountability.

Protestors continue to demand its release at the Maitighar Mandala monument in central Kathmandu.

On Monday, most sat blindfolded, holding placards saying "Error 404: Justice Not Found", "Where is the full report of the Karki Commission?", "Don't let the weight of the state crush the truth of the pen", among other slogans.

The protests have drawn support from civil society groups, lawyers, and academics, who argue that withholding the report undermines democratic accountability.

The controversy has also attracted international attention. Human rights organisations have urged the government to release the report, warning that failure to do so could damage Nepal's democratic credentials.

For many in the Himalayan nation, the Karki Commission report has become more than a bureaucratic document. It represents a test of whether the state can confront its own failures.

The delay has thus transformed the report into a rallying cry, uniting disparate groups under the banner of transparency.

- IANS