![Interim Nepalese Prime Minister Sushila Karki holds a moment of silence on September 14, 2025, in memory of those killed in the protests [Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]](https://ras.mv/storage/wSis0KIJeCBQXKqq8nubpYXj8zug6nxXoMj84zg3.webp)
Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki has urged Nepalis to unite and rebuild the country after violent anti-corruption protests left at least 72 people dead and hundreds injured.
In her first public remarks since assuming office on Friday, the 73-year-old former chief justice said the government must act on the demands of the country’s Gen Z youth, who led the demonstrations. “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance, and economic equality,” Karki said on Sunday.
Karki held a moment of silence for those killed and pledged that her government would not stay in power beyond six months, with elections scheduled for March 5, 2026. State TV reported that families of those slain will receive one million rupees each in compensation.
The protests, Nepal’s deadliest in decades, erupted after a temporary social media ban and escalated into widespread unrest, forcing the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Demonstrators torched government buildings, including the president’s office and several ministries.
Human rights groups have called on Nepal’s new leadership to end political impunity and address longstanding issues of graft and inequality.
In her first public remarks since assuming office on Friday, the 73-year-old former chief justice said the government must act on the demands of the country’s Gen Z youth, who led the demonstrations. “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance, and economic equality,” Karki said on Sunday.
Karki held a moment of silence for those killed and pledged that her government would not stay in power beyond six months, with elections scheduled for March 5, 2026. State TV reported that families of those slain will receive one million rupees each in compensation.
The protests, Nepal’s deadliest in decades, erupted after a temporary social media ban and escalated into widespread unrest, forcing the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Demonstrators torched government buildings, including the president’s office and several ministries.
Human rights groups have called on Nepal’s new leadership to end political impunity and address longstanding issues of graft and inequality.
