KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court today stayed the controversial recruitment process of the National Human Rights Commission.

A single bench of Justice Prakash Wosti issued the order following today’s hearing.

The bench also directed NHRC chairman Kedar Nath Upadhyaya and commissioners of the constitutional rights body to furnish written explanation, justifying the recruitment drive within two weeks.

The bench also listed the case in priority list, considering the serious nature of the case.

The constitutional rights body had recently begun process to permanently appoint 76 persons through internal competition from among its temporary staffers.

The bench was responding to two separate Public Interest Litigations filed at the apex court, that had challenged the recruitment process.

Stating that the NHRC is an independent body and governed as per the Paris Principle, the constitutional body had moved ahead with the recruitment process despite the dissent of the government and the Public Service Commission.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the PSC had advised the NHRC to abide by the PSC norms while appointing the officers, since it was no different from any other constitutional body.

Mina Basnet and a group of advocates, including Binod Phuyal, had filed separate writ petitions, seeking the apex court’s intervention in the NHRC’s recruitment drive.