KATHMANDU, Nov 9: Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has announced that the government will launch a special operation to bring back prisoners who escaped from during the Gen Z movement and to recover looted weapons.
Addressing the National Grand Economic Debate 2.0 organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in Kathmandu on Saturday, Minister Aryal said that despite repeated government appeals, many escapees have not returned, forcing the government to take a tougher stance.
“We issued several public notices urging them to surrender, but many remain absconding. Now, we will launch a special operation to bring them back,” Aryal said.
According to the home minister, a total of 14,549 prisoners escaped during the movement, of which 9,521 (about 65 percent) have already returned, while 5,105 (35 percent) are still at large.
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He also said that out of 710 weapons looted during the movement, most have been recovered, though some were found burnt. Retrieving the remaining weapons, he admitted, remains a major challenge.
Warning of potential instability, Aryal said failure to ensure good governance could push the country toward another phase of conflict.
“The recent incidents have sent a serious message — if we fail to deliver good governance, conflict could re-emerge, leading to political instability and a grave security crisis,” he cautioned.
The minister emphasized the government’s responsibility to uphold the rule of law, stating that the public and private sectors must work in cooperation to strengthen the economy and maintain order.
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abi Narayan Kafle, spokesperson for the Nepal Police, said that the police have placed top priority on retrieving stolen and missing firearms.
“We have formed special task forces deployed across all districts, working in coordination with local administrations and ward offices to locate the missing weapons,” Kafle said.
He added that the police are working closely with the Nepali Army and the Armed Police Force (APF) by sharing intelligence and coordinating ground-level operations.
The government has given top priority to securing lost weapons ahead of the March 5 elections. The Nepali Army has already formed an Election Task Force to prepare a comprehensive deployment and mobilization plan based on threat assessments and regional sensitivities.
Similarly, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has established a separate security coordination committee led by Joint Secretary Ananda Kafle, comprising representatives from the Nepal Police and the APF.
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