Kathmandu, December 13:

At a time when the Council of Ministers is going to formally discuss the name of former Chief Justice Mohan Prasad Sharma to head the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), lawyers today came down heavily against him. Talking to THT today, the lawyers criticised the government’s plan to appoint him as the NHRC chairman.

They alleged that Sharma had played an important role in suppressing the 1990 Jana Aandolan and promoted corruption in the Judiciary while he was the Chief Justice. Sharma had detained current state minister Dharmanath Prasad Shah and Attorney General Yagya Murti Banjade in 1990 when he was the chief judge of the then Pokhara Regional Court.

“He had detained 17 lawyers as per the order of the royal regime then; how can he head the NHRC in the current situation?” asked former president of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) Harihar Dahal. According to him, Sharma had then locked up NBA’s Pokhara unit office when lawyers were demonstrating for the restoration of democracy. “How can a supporter of an autocratic regime protect people’s fundamental rights?” he added.

In 1997, the NBA had decided to boycott Sharma’s bench accusing him of not being able to prevent corruption in the Judiciary when he was the Chief Justice. The NBA had withdrawn its protest against him after the Supreme Court and the NBA signed an agreement to jointly fight against corruption.

“The NHRC must be led by a person who respects human rights,” said another advocate Agni Kharel. Sharma cannot lead NHRC in this crucial situation, Kharel added.

Attorney General Banjade, however, said that the government has not consulted him regarding Sharma’s appointment in the NHRC. “The lawyers have strongly opposed him because he had behaved badly with them,” Banjade added.

Sharma claimed that he was offered the post by the Krishna Prasad Bhattarai-led government, too. “So, if I get a chance I will think on it. I am ready to face investigation on any allegation against me,”he added.