Kathmandu, August 20:

National Human Rights Commission member Sudip Pathak today released a list containing the commission’s investigation and visits to prisons, detention centres, army barracks and hospitals in Kathmandu and outside the Valley. The commission teams visited 79 places, including protest programmes by the civil society since July 28. The NHRC teams also visited Kalyanpur, Chitwan to probe the incident of landmine explosion involving a public bus. Other places the commission’s teams visited are Kavrepalanchowk, Taplejung, Panchthar, Baglung, Myagdi, Kalikot, Sindhupalchowk, Darchula, Bajhang. Speaking at a programme organised by the Reporters Club here today, Pathak said it is impossible for political parties to go to villages at a time like this.

He urged the authorities concerned to “halt the arrest of representatives of the media and human rights outfits.” The King must hold a meeting with political parties and the Maoists to decide the future course of action, he added. Meanwhile, a report from Nepalgunj said an NHRC probe team concluded its on-the-site study of Pili today. The team had monitored Pili, where more than 100 people were killed when Maoists attacked a security base camp on August 7. The condition of more than and 50 security personnel abducted after the attack is still unknown. The team had arrived at kalikot on August 18.

The team met local villagers, eyewitnesses and also security personnel to gather required facts about the incident. The team also visited Manma in course of the investigation today to collect additional information about the incident, team member and former chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Taranath Dahal, informed. According to NHRC Regional Office Nepalgunj, the team met government officials, security personnel and representatives of civic society in Manma regarding the Pili incident. The team will disclose the findings after reaching Nepalgunj.