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Kathmandu, Sept 26: The government is preparing to block the passports of several top leaders from major political parties, with the process now in its final stage.

The move targets those involved in suppressing the Gen-Z movement and those under investigation for corruption and money laundering. The Sushila Karki-led administration has initiated steps to suspend the passports of some leaders from the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN-Maoist Centre.

According to cabinet sources, the names of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and then-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak are clearly on the list.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana Deuba are also under consideration, though no formal decision has been made yet. On Tuesday, the government held detailed discussions with the Immigration Department and Passport Department to finalize legal grounds and procedures for passport suspension.

The Department of Money Laundering Investigation recently raided the residences of Deuba, former Energy Minister Dipak Khadka, Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and UML Chairman Oli. Large sums of cash were reportedly found in houses that had been torched during the Gen-Z protests, with videos of the discoveries going public. The department is now investigating the source of the money.

When 21 people were killed by security forces on September 8–9, Oli was serving as Prime Minister and Lekhak as Home Minister. The government is preparing to bring them under legal scrutiny over the incident.

Nepal’s Passport Act 2019 allows the government to block or revoke passports of anyone under investigation for corruption, money laundering, human trafficking, kidnapping, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, organized crime, or terrorism. Courts can also order passport suspension if a case is pending.

No passports have been blocked yet, but once the Immigration Department receives formal letters citing legal reasons, the process will be implemented. Government sources say such steps will be taken only after verifying evidence to avoid legal challenges.

People’s News Monitoring Service