Nepal's security chiefs discuss ways to strengthen security ahead of general election

Kathmandu, Nov 3 (PTI) Nepal's security chiefs met at the Army headquarters here to discuss the current security situation of the country ahead of the March 5 parliamentary elections.

At the meeting, the security chiefs expressed concern over the threats posed by stolen weapons from the Nepal Police during the recent Gen-Z protests that resulted in the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli.

A senior army official, who was present at the meeting, said that as most of the looted arms were already returned, it would not pose a major threat to the forthcoming Parliamentary election.

The meeting, convened for a security review and election preparedness hosted by Nepal Army Chief Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel, was attended by Inspector General of Nepal Police Chandra Kuber Khapung, Inspector General Raju Aryal of Armed Police Force, and National Investigation Department Chief Tekendra Karki.

The discussions mainly focused on the current security situation and election preparation strategies.

In recent weeks, Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force personnel have launched joint patrols nationwide to normalise the security situation across the country, security sources said.

The situation has been tense since the September unrest, which also lowered the morale of security personnel. Hundreds of police posts were burnt, and around 1,200 firearms were looted from Nepal Police on the second day of the Gen-Z agitation, on September 9.

The security agencies have agreed to establish election security command posts and coordinate deployments, with a follow-up review planned for the next meeting.

The security agencies have been holding discussions and forging coordination and collaboration from time to time as per the government’s instructions ahead of the forthcoming general election, said the official.

Ensuring a free and fair election by maintaining law and order across the country remains a major challenge for the caretaker government headed by PM Sushila Karki. PTI SBP ZH ZH