In the wake of the Gen Z movement, the Ministry of Home Affairs has reduced the security arrangements for former prime ministers and other senior politicians.

On Thursday, the ministry decided to cut down the security personnel of former prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli and Maoist Centre chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, citing that they were assigned more security personnel than the prescribed standard.

According to a source, a minister-level decision was made to withdraw 27 security personnel from Oli’s security staff and 34 from Dahal’s.

As per the rules, separate teams from the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and National Investigation Department are deployed for the security of former office bearers, like former prime ministers, former deputy prime ministers, speakers, deputy speakers, and ministers, among others.

The government has decided to provide additional security to those who need it and withdraw excess personnel from others, a home ministry official said. “After assessing security threats, the home ministry and district administration offices take the decision on deploying security personnel for both current and former office bearers.”

A meeting of the National Security Committee chaired by Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal decided to recall personnel deployed beyond the set standard for Oli and Dahal.

The meeting was attended by committee members including Home Secretary Rameshwar Dangal, Defense Ministry Secretary Suman Raj Aryal, Nepal Police Inspector General Chandra Kuber Khapung, Armed Police Force Inspector General Raju Aryal, Chief Investigation Officer Tekendra Karki, joint secretary as well as the committee’s member-secretary Ananda Kafle, and senior officials from the Nepali Army, according to a home ministry official. Kafle is also the spokesman of the home ministry.

To implement the committee’s decision, the ministry has communicated with the Nepal Police headquarters. “The decision will be implemented soon,” the home ministry official told the Post.

After the meeting, home ministry spokesman Kafle said, "It’s not about whose security will be withdrawn and whose won’t. The decision is to withdraw those who have taken more than the standard or without any approved criteria.”

"The data on how many will be withdrawn from whom will be released tomorrow [Friday]."

Nepal Police spokesman DIG Binod Ghimire also confirmed that instructions have already been issued to recall the excess security personnel.

Ghimire said the decision was made after assessing security threats and the process to recall is underway.