Nepal’s political landscape has been rocked yet again, as its interim government imposes sweeping travel restrictions on several former top officials—including ex-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli—following a deadly crackdown on the so-called Gen Z protests earlier this month. The move, announced on September 28, 2025, comes amid mounting scrutiny over the government’s handling of mass demonstrations that left at least 72 people dead, according to multiple news reports, with some sources citing 74 fatalities.
The travel ban, which bars foreign travel and restricts exits from the Kathmandu Valley without prior governmental approval, targets not just Oli but also former home minister Ramesh Lekhak, former home secretary Gokarnamani Duwadi, former national investigation department chief Hutraj Thapa, and former Kathmandu chief district officer Chhabi Rijal. The restrictions, recommended by a high-level investigation committee, are the latest in a series of dramatic developments since the protests erupted on September 8 and 9, ultimately toppling the Oli administration.
According to reporting by Devdiscourse and corroborated by other outlets, the interim government—now led by Sushila Karki—acted swiftly to set up a three-member panel to probe the violence. The commission is headed by former Supreme Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, with former police officer Bigyan Ran Sharma and legal expert Bishweshwor Prasad Bhandari serving as members. Their mandate: to unravel the events that led to the bloodiest political unrest Nepal has seen in years, and to deliver their findings within three months.
The Gen Z protests, as they’ve come to be known, were sparked by widespread outrage over government corruption and a controversial social media ban. The demonstrations, which swept across the country in early September, quickly escalated into violent confrontations between protesters and security forces. In the end, at least 72 people—including three police officers—lost their lives, according to The Kathmandu Post. Some international news agencies have reported the death toll as high as 74, highlighting the confusion and opacity that still shroud the official narrative.
One of the most contentious incidents occurred on September 8, when a police shootout during the height of the protests left 19 demonstrators dead. The Gen Z group—an umbrella term for the predominantly young activists who organized the protests—has since demanded the arrest of former Prime Minister Oli and ex-home minister Lekhak, holding them directly responsible for the violence. Their demands also included the formation of the investigative panel, a move the interim government ultimately conceded to under intense public pressure.
The panel’s creation marks a pivotal moment for Nepal’s fragile democracy. Not only does it reflect the government’s attempt to restore public trust, but it also underscores the deep divisions and mistrust that persist between Nepal’s political elite and its increasingly vocal youth. According to BBC, the Gen Z movement has been characterized by its savvy use of social media, decentralized leadership, and a willingness to confront entrenched power structures head-on—qualities that have made it both a force for reform and a target for harsh crackdowns.
In his first public appearance since the protests, KP Sharma Oli sought to distance himself from the violence, insisting that he bore no responsibility for the bloodshed. "The chaos was the result of infiltrators and mismanagement of security protocols," Oli stated, as reported by Devdiscourse. His comments have done little to quell public anger, with many activists accusing him of deflecting blame and refusing to acknowledge the scale of state violence unleashed on peaceful demonstrators.
Human rights organizations have also weighed in, expressing grave concerns about what they describe as excessive use of force by state security agencies. Various groups have pointed to discrepancies in official accounts of the events, calling for greater transparency and accountability. "There are significant gaps between eyewitness testimonies and the government’s version of events," one human rights advocate told The Himalayan Times, echoing a sentiment shared by many in Nepal’s civil society.
The political fallout has been swift and severe. The collapse of the Oli government in the wake of the protests signaled a dramatic shift in Nepal’s power dynamics, with the interim administration now under pressure to deliver both justice and stability. For many observers, the travel bans on Oli and his associates are as much about preventing flight as they are about signaling a break from the past. As one political analyst put it, "These restrictions are designed to reassure the public that no one is above the law—not even former prime ministers."
But the road ahead remains fraught with uncertainty. The investigative panel has just three months to submit its report, a tight deadline given the complexity and sensitivity of its mandate. Its findings are expected to have far-reaching implications—not just for those directly implicated in the violence, but for the broader trajectory of Nepal’s democratic experiment.
Meanwhile, the Gen Z movement shows no signs of backing down. Organizers have vowed to keep up the pressure on the government until their demands for justice and accountability are met. "We will not rest until those responsible for the deaths of our fellow citizens are brought to justice," one activist declared at a recent rally in Kathmandu, according to The Kathmandu Post. Their determination reflects a broader generational shift in Nepalese politics, one that prizes transparency, accountability, and civic engagement over patronage and backroom deals.
For the interim government, the challenge is twofold: to restore public confidence in the institutions of state, and to ensure that the cycle of violence and repression does not repeat itself. The travel bans, while significant, are just the first step in what promises to be a long and difficult process of reckoning. As the country awaits the investigative panel’s findings, all eyes are on Kathmandu—and on the young activists whose courage has already reshaped the nation’s political landscape.
With the stakes so high and the wounds still fresh, Nepal stands at a crossroads. The coming months will test not only the resolve of its leaders but also the resilience of its democracy. One thing is clear: the events of September 2025 will reverberate for years to come, shaping the future of a nation still searching for justice and stability.