CJ Urged to Help Appoint NHRC Chief, Members

Nine officials of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), including deputy director and acting secretary, Murari Kharel and Padhma Mathema, met Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel, who is also an ex-officio member of the Constitutional Council on Wednesday.The council appoints the chiefs and members of constitutional bodies.The NHRC officials asked the Chief Justice to exert pressure on the government to appoint NHRC chairperson and members."The Chief Justice said he will play a positive role in this regard," acting secretary of the NHRC, Padma Mathema, told reporters."Being a member of the Constitutional Council, I will do the needful for the appointment once the Constitutional Council takes full shape. The PM has not appointed three members to the Constitutional Council."The Chief Justice also advised the officials to meet the Prime Minister and ask him to give full shape to the Constitutional Council.The posts of NHRC chairperson and members have been lying vacant for 11 months. NHRC officials have been meeting officials concerned to take initiatives for the appointment of the chairperson and members. According to the NHRC officials, decisions on several complaints have been pending due to the non-appointment of the chairperson and members and hindering the NHRC's efforts to protect human rights.The NHRC officials have met Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahana Pradhan and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara with the aim of filling the vacancies at the NHRC, an official said. "They have assured us that they will propose the appointment of NHRC chairperson and members in the cabinet meeting soon," he added.We have been saying that we be allowed to meet Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in this regard on Friday.