Newly-appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki has finalized advocate Om Prakash Aryal to head the Home and Law Ministries.
She previously confirmed Rameshore Khanal for the role of finance minister and Kulman Ghising for energy minister.
Aryal gained prominence after filing a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the appointment of Lokman Singh Karki as the chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
He has been actively fighting legal battles on various issues of public interest and also serves as the legal advisor to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Aryal was also involved in discussions with President Ram Chandra Paudel regarding the appointment of Karki as the head of the interim government. He attended Karki’s swearing-in ceremony as well.
Similarly, Khanal, who will lead the Finance Ministry, is a former finance secretary. Recently, he submitted a 447-page report to the KP Oli government as the chair of the High-Level Economic Reform Recommendation Commission. The report outlined the weaknesses in the economy, why problems arose, what immediate actions need to be taken, and what the long-term solutions are.
Ghising, set to head the Energy Ministry, is the former managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Widely popular for ending load-shedding in Nepal due to his managerial skills, Ghising was removed from the NEA by the KP Oli government a few months ago, with Hitendra Dev Shakya appointed as his replacement.
According to a source, PM Karki initially held phone conversations with these three individuals and later finalized their appointments after holding discussions with them at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Earlier on Sunday, PM Karki appointed senior advocate Sabita Bhandari as the attorney general.
Since Sunday morning, Karki has intensified discussions to form her cabinet, which will reportedly comprise no more than 11 members, including the prime minister. As a result, the ministers whose appointments have been finalized may also take on additional portfolios.
Following the resignation of former prime minister KP Oli under pressure from the Gen-Z movement, Karki was appointed as the interim prime minister on Friday night. She is Nepal’s first-ever female prime minister.
Shortly after Karki took the oath of office, President Ram Chandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives and announced elections for March 5, 2026.
