Kathmandu, March 21:

Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala today claimed that impunity got an impetus after the Unified CPN-Maoist came into power.

Talking to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay at his residence here, Koirala said the activities of the Maoist-led government showed that it was heading towards establishing dictatorial system. According to his foreign affairs advisor Dr Suresh Chalise, Koirala told Pillay that the NC would launch its programmes to fight such attempts without compromising on democracy.

“Media houses and journalists have been attacked and the government has even interfered in the independent functioning of the judiciary. Drug peddlers and human traffickers were released from jails for the first time in Nepal’s history after the Maoists came to power,” Dr Chalise quoted Koirala as saying.

Koirala, citing incidents of intimidation and threats from the People’s Liberation Army personnel outside their cantonments and unlawful activities of the Young Communist League, said the situation of human rights had been worsening in the country.

Koirala told Pillay that the NC was for ratifying the Rome Statute.

Koirala said the NC wanted to extend the tenure of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the situation.

Pillay, on the other hand, cited the murders of journalist Uma Singh, businessman Ram Hari Shrestha and Maina Sunuwar to point out deteriorating human rights situation. Pillay also met CPN-UML president Jhalanath Khanal and expressed concern about the situation of human rights in the country. “We dwelt on how to improve the human rights situation. Our party is committed to improve the situation,” said Khanal after the meeting. Khanal told Pillay that the UML also wanted to extend the tenure of the OHCHR.