KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday urged the government and political parties to ensure that all parties can hold any function peacefully.

The constitutional human rights body asked the United Democratic Madhesi Front, in particular, not to carry out any activity that would disrupt scheduled functions of other parties.

While the bloc of agitating Madhes-based parties has been warning to foil the main opposition CPN-UML's Mechi-Mahakali campaign that began from Jhapa district of eastern Nepal yesterday, the NHRC reminded that right to peaceful assembly and right to expression have been guaranteed by the Constitution as well as international human rights instruments.

Mentioning the manhandling of UML leaders in Rajbiraj of Saptari district on Friday and the UDMF obstruction on the UML function in Gaur of Rautahat district last week, NHRC spokesperson Mohna Ansari said, "Such activities carried out by the cadres of United Democratic Madhesi Front with an objective to obstruct the scheduled programme of CPN-UML seems to be against norms and values of human rights."

"After a party has made its programmes public," Ansari's statement read, "Planning other programmes to foil the function and creating situations of clashes do not lead to positive results."

Meanwhile, the NHRC also urged the government to investigate into the cases of such obstructions, manhandling and abuse; and ensure that such incidents would be prevented so as to maintain social harmony in the future.