Broadsheet dailies (both in Nepali and English) published in Kathmandu on Friday, April 15, 2016, have given considerable space to the Inquiry Commission on Forced Disappearances’ commencement of collection of complaints from the conflict-era victims. The uncovering of involvement of Nepali citizens in masterminding the smuggling of an illegal drug in the international market has also received attention.
Important
Disappearances probe commission starts collecting complaints
The Himalayan Times and Republica have made reports on the event their lead story for the day. The Himalayan Times, in its three-column story, quotes commission Spokesperson Dr Bishnu Pathak as saying, “Though the official figure of disappeared persons is relatively low, we expect up to 10,000 people to lodge complaints, as the number of people, who disappeared for more than a month, is quite high.”
Meanwhile, Republica gives importance to the news that the commission received 15 complaints on the first day. In its three-column lead story, the paper says, “Different government agencies have separate statistics on the number of the persons disappeared during the insurgency-era (February 13, 1996 to November 21, 2006). However, the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction puts the number of disappeared at 1,530.”
UML Central Committee meeting
Nagarik, Annapurna Post, Gorkhapatra and Naya Patrika have given considerable space to the blame-game between top three leaders (KP Oli, Jhalanath Khanal and Madhav Kumar Nepal) that played out during the ongoing central committee meeting of the CPN-UML.
Annapurna Post, in its three-column, second-most important story for the day, says UML leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Nepal has objected to party Chairman and Prime Minister KP Oli’s style of unilateral decision making. The report says Nepal expressed dissatisfaction over Oli’s move to make political appointments (including that of ambassadors to different countries) without consulting the party, and to choose members of the delegation to visit China.
Nagarik in its report says leaders Jhalanath Khanal and Madhav Nepal asked Oli, “You are the party chairman, and the Prime Minister. Why do you need to be involved in factional politics now?”
Nepali envoy to Saudi stabbed in his office
Most newspapers have given some space to the stabbing of Nepal’s acting ambassador Ananda Prasad Sharma in Riyadh.
Ignored
Unattended abortion and its consequences
Annapurna Post in its anchor story for the day is on how women are abusing drugs to abort unwanted pregnancy, in Kathmandu. The report cites the case of a 19-year-old woman living in Kalanki, Kathmandu, who went to a pharmacy nearby to buy ‘abortion drug’, and easily got hold of it. The report says that the woman suffered excessive bleeding, and had to be rushed to hospital in a critical state.
Interesting
Stock market reaches new high
Naya Patrika and Karobar have reports on how Nepal’s only stock exchange broke all records on Friday. According to Naya Patrika, the NEPSE index crossed 1400 on Thursday. Karobar has attributed this to growing liquidity in the market and the lack of avenues for investors to put their money in the productive sector.
289 mountaineers from 39 countries on Everest
Karobar, in its lead story, says 289 mountaineers from 39 countries have received permits to summit Everest this spring.
With the arrest of two carriers of amphetamine (ice) in Kathmandu, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police has uncovered the involvement of Nepali citizens in masterminding the smuggling of the illegal drug in the international market.
Nepali ‘mastermind’ behind trade in illegal drug
Most newspapers have given space to the arrest of two Nepalis in possession of the illegal drug amphetamine, at the Tribhuvan International Airport. According to reports, police investigation shows that the two arrested were deployed by two brothers — Dharma Pakhrin based in Thailand and Purna Pakhrin based in Nepal, who had been masterminding the racket for more than eight years.
