Conflict victims filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court challenging the recent appointments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP).

Filing their petition on Wednesday, the victims alleged that the government’s latest selection process was marred by political power-sharing and the appointment of unqualified individuals.

A total of 334 conflict victims demanded revocation of the appointments made in both the TRC and CIEDP claiming that the selection was against the constitution as well as relevant laws.

The government in May appointed office bearers in the two transitional justice bodies amidst reservations from the victims as well as rights organisations.

The conflict victims’ latest move comes after the Supreme Court’s administration had previously refused to register a similar case. The earlier decision was overturned by a single bench of Justice Til Prasad Shrestha quashed the rejection order on Tuesday, clearing the way for registration of the case.

The petitioners argue that the appointments violate both constitutional and legal provisions, as the genuine stakeholders–the victims–were neither consulted nor informed about the criteria. They claim political parties allocated office bearers’ seats based on quotas for their affiliation, bypassing any merit-based evaluation.

The victims have asked the court to annul the appointments and to ensure that future selections comply with constitutional safeguards. If the court issues an interim order as per their demand, the newly appointed officials would be barred from continuing their duties.