Key points
- PM Oli resigns amid unrest
- Protests sparked by social media ban
- Demonstrations evolve into anti-corruption movement
ISLAMABAD: Nepali soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday, seeking to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to quit in the worst violence to hit.
Protests had began Monday in the Nepali capital against the government’s ban on social media and over corruption, but escalated into an outpouring of rage nationwide with government buildings set on fire after a deadly crackdown claimed at least 19 lives.
The rapid descent into chaos shocked many, and Nepal’s military warned against “activities that could lead the country into unrest and instability” in the country of 30 million people.
Smouldering plumes of smoke rose from the government buildings, residences of politicians, supermarkets and other buildings targeted by protesters, an AFP reporter said Wednesday.
Streets were littered with carcasses of burnt vehicles and tyres.
Kathmandu, Nepal: An Army personnel walks past the charred remains of government vehicles inside the premises of the Parliament building in Kathmandu on September 10, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
According to AFP and OnlineKhabar, the Army was formally handed command of airport operations and city security late Tuesday night, with soldiers deployed “round the clock” to maintain law and order.
The report noted that civil aviation staff are now working under direct military oversight as the capital remains under indefinite curfew.
Uneasy calm
“It is quiet today, the army is on the streets in all places”, one soldier inspecting cars at a makeshift street checkpoint said, who could not be named as he was not authorised to speak to reporters, AFP said.
Gangs on Tuesday had attacked and set fire to the house of KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party.
Nepali Army chief, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, has appealed for talks, in a video message issued late Tuesday.
“To provide the nation with a peaceful resolution, we urge all groups involved in the protest to call it off and engage in dialogue”, he said.
The International Crisis Group called it a “major inflection point in the country’s uneasy experience with democratic rule”.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged “restraint to avoid a further escalation of violence”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The crisis has also disrupted international travel. As The Times of India detailed, multiple flights bound for Kathmandu—including those operated by IndiGo, FlyDubai, and Thai Lion Air—were diverted to Lucknow and Delhi after the closure of Tribhuvan airport.
Military officials also urged the public to cooperate with security personnel and avoid acts of violence. They have also set up helplines for reporting emergencies, while hospitals in the capital continue to treat dozens of injured demonstrators.
“The protesters, leaders who are trusted by them and the army should come together to pave the way for a caretaker government,” constitutional lawyer Dipendra Jha told AFP.
Crisis Group analyst Ashish Pradhan echoed that, saying a “transitional arrangement will now need to be charted out swiftly and include figures who still retain credibility with Nepalis, especially the country’s youth”.
People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics — while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita is just $1,447, according to the World Bank.
