Army Chief appeals protestors to pursue dialogue for peace

Kathmandu, Sept. 10: Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) of the Nepali Army, General Ashok Raj Sigdel has called on protesting parties to come forward for dialogue to seek a peaceful resolution.

In a video address on Tuesday evening, General Sigdel said, “It is the shared duty of all to normalise the current challenging situation and safeguard the supreme interests of the nation. I therefore urge all parties to postpone protest activities and embrace the path of dialogue and peace.”

General Sigdel expressed deep sorrow over the loss and damage to lives and property during recent nationwide protests. Extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, he prayed for eternal peace for the departed souls and offered sympathy and solidarity to those affected.

General Sigdel also wished for a speedy recovery for the injured and underlined that maintaining peace, security, harmony, and national unity is the collective responsibility of all Nepalis.

“History bears witness that the Nepali Army remains steadfast in protecting the country’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, national unity, and the safety of its people,” he acclaimed.

He further stressed that protest activities must not negatively impact national and historical heritage, public and private property, ordinary citizens, or the security of diplomatic missions and concerned stakeholders.

Concluding his address, General Sigdel urged everyone to come together in the spirit of patriotism and national unity, fostering harmony and solidarity across the country.

Army deployed to protect Pashupatinath Temple 

Meanwhile, a squad of Nepali Army has been deployed in the Pashupatinath Temple premises where protestors turned violent and started damaging and setting fire to historical Hindu temple late Tuesday night.

Brigadier General and Nepali Army Spokesperson Rajaram Basnet said that a team from the Nepali Army has already reached Pashupatinath Temple for protection. Leaders of the Gen-Z protesters, however, claimed that there was an intrusion into the protest in the evening.

One Gen-Z protester said, “Actually, causing so much arson late at night was never our plan. While the situation was progressing according to our demands, some unruly groups apparently reached the temple.”

The leaders of the Gen-Z protesters stated that they will sit in dialogue called by the President to find a solution. 

They also urged people not to commit arson on government property, saying that a new situation has already been created.

Army takes charge of security 

Likewise, issuing a separate press note, the Directorate of Public Relations and Information (DPR&I), on Tuesday night, has said that as tensions persisted throughout Tuesday, the Nepali Army has urged an immediate halt to looting, arson, and other disruptive activities. The statement warned that if such actions continued, all security mechanisms, including the Army, would be fully deployed 10:00 pm onwards.

Condemning certain groups for exploiting the volatile situation to inflict severe damage on both civilians and public property, Army has called on citizens across the nation to assist in controlling the unrest.

“The security situation will be reassessed, and further updates will be issued accordingly,” the statement added.