Date: 2 June 2025

Venue: Basera Boutique Hotel, Kathmandu

Organized by: Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF)

The Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF) organized a national seminar on “Terrorism in South Asia and its Implications for Nepal” on June 2, 2025, at Basera Boutique Hotel, Kathmandu. The event aimed to explore Nepal’s vulnerabilities in the face of rising regional terrorism and to discuss necessary policy, security, and diplomatic strategies.

Opening Remarks

The event began with opening remarks by Amb. Vijay Kant Karna, Executive Chairperson of CESIF, who emphasized the evolving threat of terrorism in South Asia and its direct effects on Nepal. He highlighted Nepal's geopolitical vulnerability, citing examples such as the IC 814 hijacking, the 2006 Jammu and Kashmir attack on Nepali workers, and the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, as indicators that Nepal is no longer shielded from terrorism’s reach.

Panel 1: Policy Response for Addressing the Implications of Terrorism for Nepal

Moderator: Vijay Kant Karna (Executive Chairperson, CESIF)

Panelists Included:

• Hon. N.P. Saud, Member of Parliament and Former Foreign Minister, stated that terrorism is no longer a distant threat and that Nepal must move away from ad hoc and symbolic responses. He underscored flaws in immigration and border control systems and called for integrated immigration-security mechanisms to ensure long-term protection.
• Hon. Raj Kishore Yadav, Member of Parliament, described Nepal’s diplomatic silence on the Pahalgam attack as a lost opportunity to stand in solidarity with victims. He criticized the lack of parliamentary debate and prioritization of terrorism as a national issue.
• Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi, Former National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary, highlighted Nepal’s implementation gap in fulfilling its global counterterrorism commitments. He pointed to immigration and intelligence as critical weak spots requiring institutional reform.

Panel 2: Nepal's Security Vulnerabilities and Citizen Implications

Moderator: Ajaya Bhadra Khanal (Research Director, CESIF)

Panelists Included:

• Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Binoj Basnyat discussed the changing nature of warfare in South Asia, shaped by technology, proxy conflicts, and geopolitical rivalries. He warned that Nepal’s current reliance on soft diplomacy is inadequate and stressed the need to revisit the country’s national security strategy.
• Amb. Madhu Raman Acharya argued that Nepal should take a principled and assertive stance in cases of regional terrorism, noting that the Pahalgam incident could have been a diplomatic opportunity to strengthen ties with India.
• Amish Mulmi, columnist and writer, emphasized the indirect but real impact of regional terrorism on Nepal through its migrant population. He urged Nepal to align its counterterrorism efforts with the doctrinal shift in the region, where acts of terror are now equated to acts of war.
• Apekshya Shah advocated for enhanced intelligence coordination and academic capacity-building, stressing the importance of countering radicalization, misinformation, and security illiteracy through research-driven discourse.

The seminar concluded with a strong consensus on the need for Nepal to take a clearer and more proactive position against terrorism in the region. Speakers emphasized the importance of moving beyond symbolic gestures and investing in coherent legal, institutional, and diplomatic frameworks to ensure national security.

The seminar brought together key stakeholders, including policymakers, diplomats, former security officials, civil society leaders, and researchers, all united in their call for a more assertive, strategic, and resilient approach to terrorism and regional security.