Kathmandu, 12 September (H.S.): In a historic move, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as Nepal’s interim Prime Minister today on Friday( September 12, 2025) following the resignation of K.P. Sharma Oli amid widespread anti-corruption protests and political unrest. This consensus decision, backed by the major political parties, Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Poudel, and representatives of the Gen Z protest movement, marks Karki as the first woman to lead the Himalayan nation.

Karki, 73, who gained nationwide recognition as Nepal’s first female Chief Justice (2016-2017) with a reputation for firm anti-corruption policies, is now entrusted with steering a transitional government. Her primary mandate is to restore order after violent protests left at least 51 people dead and over 1,300 injured, to investigate corruption and police excesses during the unrest, and to organize fresh elections to restore political stability.

The appointment followed the dissolution of Nepal’s Parliament and came after months of public outrage triggered by government bans on major social media platforms and widespread “Nepo Kids” nepotism allegations that galvanized young protesters, predominantly from Generation Z. Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and protest leaders from the youth movement publicly endorsed her, underscoring her image as a unifying figure with a clean track record. Karki agreed to take office only on the condition that her interim government would have the freedom to conduct unbiased investigations into corruption and police brutality.

The political crisis was precipitated by Oli’s resignation on September 9, after days of protests that involved clashes with security forces and arson targeting government buildings, including the Parliament. The unrest exposed deep-rooted grievances over institutional corruption, inequality, and governance failures in Nepal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar