Nepal’s Kathmandu airport reopened on Wednesday (September 10), a day after being shut down amid violent anti-corruption protests sweeping the country.

The demonstrators, largely composed of young ‘Gen Z’ activists, are demanding former Chief Justice Sushila Karki be appointed as the interim Prime Minister, according to the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, who was consulted by the protesters.

The protests, which began as a reaction to a government-imposed ban on social media platforms, have now evolved into a broader anti-corruption movement.

According to a World Bank report, “Nepal’s economic growth accelerated in the first half of FY25 (H1FY25). Real GDP grew by 4.9 percent in H1FY25, up from 4.3 percent in H1FY24.”

However, the growth figure fails to capture the country’s deeper economic malaise: slow job creation, high inequality exacerbated by climate vulnerabilities and natural disasters, and an increasing number of young people migrating abroad.

Angered by what they describe as repressive actions of the K P Sharma Oli regime, the Gen Z protesters set fire to government buildings, offices of major political parties, and homes and offices of top political figures, including several former Prime Ministers, on Tuesday.

Amid the upheaval, Oli tendered his resignation, stating, “In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution.”

Sushila Karki, whom the protesters want as interim Prime Minister, was born on June 7, 1952, in Biratnagar. She pursued political science and law, earning a BA from Mahendra Morang Campus, Biratnagar in 1972, a master’s degree in political science from Banaras Hindu University in 1975, and a law degree from Tribhuvan University, Nepal in 1978. Karki began her legal career in 1979 and became a senior advocate in 2007.

Appointed as an Ad-Hoc Justice of the Supreme Court on January 22, 2009, she became a permanent Justice in November 2010.

Karki served as acting Chief Justice from April 13 to July 10, 2016, before becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from July 11, 2016, to June 7, 2017.

During her tenure, she oversaw landmark cases on transitional justice and electoral disputes, reinforcing the judiciary’s role as a guardian of democracy. On April 30, 2017, an impeachment motion was filed against her in Parliament by the Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress, but it was later withdrawn following public pressure and an interim Supreme Court order barring Parliament from proceeding. Karki is married to Durga Prasad Subedi, a prominent youth leader of the Nepali Congress.

What began as protests over the ban on 26 social media apps quickly morphed into a larger anti-corruption movement.

Social media apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp became crucial platforms for the Nepalese public, especially young people, to voice their frustrations over stagnating economic prospects, unemployment, and systemic corruption. These apps also served as vital communication channels for keeping in touch with family members working abroad in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Malaysia, and India, and as a conduit for remittances, a significant part of Nepal’s national income.

Adding to the unrest was a circulating rumor that the two largest political parties in Nepal were planning to form a grand coalition, despite both of their leaders being under investigation for corruption by the previous government.

The social media ban was perceived as an attempt to suppress these discussions, further fuelling the protests.

The situation remains tense as the nation grapples with demands for systemic change, with many activists continuing to push for Sushila Karki’s appointment as interim Prime Minister.