Ex-PM Oli’s travel ban lifted by probe Commission

An inquiry commission probing the incidents related to last year’s Gen Z protests on Monday lifted the travel restrictions imposed on former prime minister and CPN (UML) chief KP Sharma Oli. The decision to lift the restrictions was taken at a meeting of the commission here, said Bigyan Raj Sharma, spokesperson of the commission.

The development comes a day after Oli sent a formal reply to a letter from the probe commission seeking clarification over the ‘excessive’ use of force during the Gen Z movement. On September 28 last year, the Commission barred Oli from travelling abroad and from leaving the Kathmandu Valley without its prior approval.

The youth-led Gen Z protest on September 8 and 9 against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban escalated into violence, leading to the ouster of Oli’s coalition Government. At least 77 people were killed during the two-day Gen Z protests. Of them, 22 were killed on the first day of the protests.

A three-member inquiry commission, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, was formed by the interim Government of Prime Minister Sushila Karki to probe allegations of use of excessive force and rights violations during the youth-led protests.

A team from the commission on Sunday visited Oli’s residence in Gundu of Bhaktapur district and handed him a letter consisting of around four dozen questions. The commission received a written statement from the former Prime Minister on the same day.