Seminar in Kathmandu emphasizes terrorist threat to Nepal

A seminar held in Kathmandu concluded that the current rise of terrorist activities in South Asia could pose a serious threat to Nepal. The seminar was organised by the Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF). During the discussion, former ambassador Vijay Kant Karna emphasised the vulnerability of Nepal as a potential transit point for terrorists. He also cited the victimisation of Nepali citizens in recent terrorist acts like the Pahalgam attack. Former Foreign Minister N.P. Saud added that systemic flaws in immigration management could favour a terrorist spillover in Nepal from other South Asian countries. He called for stronger immigration security mechanisms and cautioned that ad hoc responses do not guarantee long-term protection. Legislator Raj Kishore Yadav complained about the continued failure to frame terrorism as a national issue, asking for a more assertive stance against the phenomenon. Former National Security Advisor Shanker Das Bairagi stressed Nepal’s normative commitments to international conventions but admitted several implementation gaps depreciating the country’s credibility. Retired Major General Binoj Basnyat talked instead about the changing nature of warfare in South Asia, shaped by technology, proxy conflicts, and big power rivalries. He pointed out that Nepal’s counterterrorism efforts lack proactive mechanisms.
Columnist Amish Mulmi said that although terrorism may not originate in Nepal, it directly affects the country through migration and regional dynamics. He asked for more clarity in national counterterrorism efforts, warning that India now treats any act of terror as an act of war and no longer differentiates between state-backed and non-state actors. Finally, Apekshya Shah, head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Tribhuvan University, called for better intelligence coordination and academic capacity-building to counter radicalisation.