A team led by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member, Sudip Pathak, left Kathmandu for eastern Mechi zone Tuesday morning to study the impact of the three-week long shutdown strike called by the Maoist insurgents.
The team comprising president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists Bishnu Nisthuri and president of Private and Boarding School Organisation of Nepal (PABSON) Umesh Shrestha, among others, will study the impact of the strike on local people, trade, schools and tea estates. Vice president of Nepal Bar Association, Ganesh Pokhrel, and representative of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) will join the team in Biratnagar.
The team will interact with local administration, civil society leaders, businessmen, private school operators and is also expected to appeal the insurgents to withdraw their call for strike.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Maoist insurgents have abducted around five persons including journalist Hom Dhakal from Pashupatinagar in the eastern hilly district of Ilam on Monday. A reporter with ‘Sutradhar Shree’ newspaper published locally, Dhakal also used to work as a correspondent for ‘Bimarsha’ weekly published from Kathmandu.
President of FNJ Ilam branch, Somnath Susheli, said whereabouts of Dhakal remain unknown.
FNJ has condemned the incident and has demanded immediate and safe release of Dhakal.