Nepal

KATHMANDU: Pranesh Gautam, a comedian who has remained in judicial custody for posting a negative review about a Nepali movie on a YouTube channel, is set to appear before the District Court, Kathmandu today.

This image shows comedian and content creator Pranesh Gautam in 2016. Photo: Pranesh Gautam/Facebook

Gautam was arrested on June 7, two weeks after an FIR was filed against him by Milan Chamling Rai (Chams), the film-maker.

Gautam made the video for Meme Nepal reviewing Chamnew movie &Bir Bikram 2& which Chams found offensive leading him to file a complaint against Gautam.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Uttam Subedi, Chief of Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, Gautam was released on a deed of guarantee (hajiri jamani) last night on the condition that he would appear before the court today.

However, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Crime Division, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kedar Dhakal refuted that Gautam was released. He said Gautam remained in police custody so as to be presented before the court today.

Meanwhile, many comedians, activists and youths have denounced Chamaction, calling it as an attempt to muzzle freedom of expression and abuse of power for personal vendetta.

• Activists protest against arrest of a YouTuber
• Rally held in capital demanding release of comedian Pranesh Gautam
• Comedian Gautam sent to judicial custody for yet another day

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Kathmandu, June 13

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota said a final decision regarding the job advertisement placed by the Public Service Commission would be taken after Prime Minister KP Sharma Olireturn from Europe.

Minister Baskota made the remark addressing mediapersons in Singha Durbar today.

The PSC recently announced vacancies for over 9,000 local level staffers. The decision has been opposed by Province 2 government and rights activists. They say that the PSCmove violated the provision of inclusion enshrined in the constitution.

State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives has ordered the PSC to halt the job advertisement, for not honouring the principle of inclusion.

Minister Baskota attempted to defend the PSC and said that as a constitutional body the PSC had placed advertisement following legal provisions.

As per the law, the PSC has the authority to fill vacant positions at local levels, under circumstances where the provincial PSCs have not been formed, he said.

Informing of the governmentdecisions, he said that the government has nominated Naradnath Bhardwaj, Banshidhar Mishra, Maheshraj Dahal and Dawa Phuti Sherpa as NepalAmbassadors to Qatar, Bangladesh, Australia and Spain, respectively.

The government endorsed manual related to the Constitution of Prime Minister National Talent Award. The government authorised acquisition of four bigaha land for the upgradation of Siraha Customs Office and two bigaha and 11 kaththa land for the upgradation of Thadhi Customs Office.

The government also authorised the Nepal Rastra Bank to issue coins on the occasion of silver jubilee celebration of Securities Board of Nepal, Guru Nanak and hundredth birthday of historian and culturist Satya Mohan Joshi.

The Cabinet also endorsed the agreement that Nepal recently signed with Cambodia.

The government, on recommendation of the Judicial Council, nominated High Court Judge Sabir Mohmmed Hussain as the Chairperson of Appeal Committee of Kathmandu Valley Development Authority.

The government also authorised the concerned government agencies to reach agreement with the Indian counterparts to purchase urea and DAP fertilisers.

The government also endorsed a plan to establish Nepal Forest Corporation Limited and to draft an integrated Health Education Bill.

The government authorised integration of land plots occupied by Immigration Office, Belahiya, Bhairahawa and Plant Quarantine Office.

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Kathmandu, June 13

Development agencies of the United States and the United Kingdom today announced a partnership to support the Government of Nepal in combating human trafficking.

Partnership between the United States Agency for International Development and the United KingdomDepartment for International Development will expand USAIDongoing Hamro Samman Project to support the governmentefforts to combat human trafficking in 10 districts.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, USAID Nepal Mission Director Amy Tohill-Stull said, &For over a decade, USAIDsupport has enabled Nepal to strengthen its 49 policies to prevent human trafficking, prosecute traffickers and protect and rehabilitate survivors. We are pleased that DFID has joined our partnership. Joint collaboration will enable us to expand our efforts to address this serious issue.&

Head of DFID in Nepal Rurik Marsden said, &The UK is committed to working with the Government of Nepal to help end modern slavery in Nepal. We are happy to join hands with USAID in this mission. I am confident that DFIDcontribution will help strengthen government mechanism to address human trafficking and generate better plans to curtail the crime.&

The US GovernmentTrafficking in Person Report-2018, ranks Nepal as a tier two country and identifies it as a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. While this report estimates that 30,000 Nepali girls and women are commercially exploited for sex each year, Global Slavery Index 2018 estimates that 171,000 Nepalis are subject to slavery at any given time, according to a press release issued by the US embassy in Kathmandu.

Despite these challenges, Hamro Samman, which was initiated in 2017 and is implemented by Winrock International, has made substantial strides in reducing human trafficking in Nepal, stated the release.

Over the projectremaining three years, the partnership with DFID will add to Hamro Sammanpast success in combining human trafficking.

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Kathmandu, June 13

The main opposition party Nepali Congress today claimed that the two-third majority government led by the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had been losing its credibility and confidence of people, thanks to its authoritarian conduct.

Speaking at a press meet organised at the NC Central Office in Sanepa to make public the report of the first phase of its one-month nationwide awareness campaign, party Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma said, &Peopledissatisfaction with the ruling party was clearly visible during the campaign.

General public has found a ray of hope in the NC. They expect NC to play a vital role in the protection of the constitution, federalism and democracy.&

According to Sharma, many cadres of the ruling NCP and other parties showed their interest to joining the NC. &As many as 31,642 persons joined the NC in the course of the campaign. Those entering the NC range from general member to district level leaders of various parties,& according to Sharma.

The NC also collected comments, feedbacks and suggestions from the general public with respect to its weakness during the campaign, which mainly dwelt on issues like democracy, federalism, good governance and prosperity.

The leaders from the central, regional, district, municipal, village and community level had spent quality time with the general public during the campaign to make them aware about the NCfuture course of action. NC had cautioned the unwary people against the authoritarian conduct of the government, according to Sharma.

Sharma said NC had realised its weaknesses and was committed to correcting them. However, he didn&t elaborate what the weaknesses were. NC has also announced routine blood donation and collection programme in Kathmandu to ensure that no hospitals faced a blood shortage.

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