KATHMANDU: Nepali Communist Party (NCP) leader Barshaman Pun has urged all sides to refrain from activities that could undermine social harmony, warning that Nepal is passing through a sensitive geopolitical period.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament building, Pun said Nepal’s location between two large neighbors and its landlocked position exposed it to external pressures, security challenges and possible geopolitical maneuvering. He called on the government and the public to exercise restraint at a time of rising global geopolitical competition.

Pun said the unity of the Nepali people must remain above politics and urged all communities to avoid arrogance, intolerance and provocation. He stressed that Prime Minister Balen Shah and Home Minister Sudhan Gurung should act responsibly in the current sensitive situation.

“We have asked for the home minister’s response in Parliament,” he said. “The prime minister should have convened an all-party meeting and addressed the nation through Parliament. That kind of leadership has not been seen.”

He argued that force alone could not resolve the crisis, noting that the unrest had continued for several days and that deploying the army should come only after exhausting political and administrative processes.

“Local and provincial governments must be taken into confidence, and the administration and political leadership should appeal to all social groups to maintain harmony,” Pun said.
He called for immediate dialogue with all stakeholders and the formation of a high-level commission to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and recommend measures to prevent similar violence in the future.

Pun also said there were still doubts surrounding who fired the shots and warned that Nepal should not ignore the possibility of forces seeking to push the country toward instability or even state failure.