Saturday, April 30 2005 16:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Top political leaders of Nepal today (Apr 30, 2005) demanded King Gyanendra to release political prisoners and fully restore fundamental rights and press freedom, while welcoming the royal Government's lifting of emergency.

The leaders expressed doubts about yesterday (Apr 29, 2005) night's Government announcement of lifting of emergency, as press censorship has not been lifted yet and hundreds of political prisoners were still in detention. When contacted, Government officials refused to comment on these issues.

"The announcement to lift State of emergency is a positive step but this is not enough," said the acting general secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (UML) Jhalanath Khanal. The Government should immediately release all the political prisoners, human rights activists and journalists and restore fundamental rights of the people, he said.

"An atmosphere should be created to allow smooth and unobstructed functioning of political parties and press freedom should be restored," Khanal said.

Press freedom has not yet been restored even after lifting the emergency, said Bishnu Nishthuri, general secretary of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ).

"The Government's policy towards the press has not yet changed, there is still widespread control in media," he said.

"Journalists are not free to report the truth, there is restriction on reporting", he added. Three journalists, who were detained after the imposition of emergency, are still in jail, he informed.

Travel restriction imposed on political activists and others has not yet been withdrawn, he said.

"The King should return sovereign power to the people and a dialogue should be initiated with political parties to move the country towards full-fledged democracy, Khanal said.

Welcoming the King's announcement Nepali Congress (Democratic) acting president Gopal Man Shrestha said that the Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) formed by the King to grill his opponents should be abolished with the termination of emergency.

The King should return all executive powers he had assumed by imposing emergency rule and the constitutional should be reactivated, he said.

Nepali Congress central member K.B. Gurung said that the party will make its official view on the lifting of emergency after holding its central committee meeting today afternoon.

Prominent political leaders including CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and deposed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba along with over 2,000 political activists are still in jails despite the lifting of emergency.