Security personnel on alert at Durbarmarg, Kathmandu, during the day-long curfew, Friday morning, Jan 20 06. nepalnews.com/ks

As the day-long curfew was to kick off at 8:00 a.m. Friday, people could be seen rushing to their work places this morning. Dozens of people were reviewing the day’s newspaper at the busy Baneswore chowk as security personnel were taking their positions. Some drivers in hurry were seen jumping the red traffic light though there were no reports of traffic-related accidents so far.

Dozens of vehicles were seen queuing in front of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police office at Ram Shah Path to apply for the curfew pass for their vehicles. An official at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) told Nepalnews over phone that they were about to leave to monitor the curfew shortly.

A few activists affiliated to Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) staged a demonstration at Sundhara minutes before the curfew was to come into force. It could not be known whether the activists were arrested.

Landline telephones are still working whereas UTL and mobile phone services remain down since early Thursday.

The authorities said the day-long curfew had to be imposed to maintain law and order in the capital in view of possible violence in the wake of mass meetings and protest rally planned by the seven party opposition alliance.

The opposition leaders, however, said their protests would be peaceful.

Police arrested over one hundred opposition leaders and rights activists on Thursday so as to foil the opposition protests scheduled on Friday.