Rapper Shah sworn in as Nepali prime minister

• Names key cabinet posts, names ex-youth activist as interior minister • Pakistan looks forward to deeper cooperation with Nepal in all sectors KATHMANDU: Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year. The 35-year-old reformist and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) dominated polls this month on a platform of youth-driven political change. “I, Balendra Shah, in the name of the country and people, pledge that I will be loyal to the constitution, ” Shah said, dressed all in black, including his trademark dark sunglasses. Crowds at the ceremony cheered and chanted his name after he formally took office, where he named key cabinet posts, including former youth activist Sudan Gurung as interior minister. At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising, which began over a brief social me­­dia ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship in the nation of 30 million people. Shah, better known as Balen, was sworn in a day after he released his first public statement since winning the March 5 elections, via a rap song posted on social media. “The strength of unity is my national power, ” Shah sang in the song, which has racked up nearly three million views since being re­­leased on social media and streaming sites on Thursday evening. Shah had remained silent publicly since his RSP party won the election in a landslide, winning a commanding majority of 182 in the 275-seat House of Representatives. He campaigned alongside the RSP president, combative television host Rabi Lamichhane, 51, a former deputy prime minister and interior minister and now a fellow lawmaker who retains a pivotal role in power. “My heart is full of courage, my red blood is boiling; my brothers stand with me, this time we will rise, ” Shah said in his song, over a video of him campaigning for election. “May my breath not run out; I will run like a leopard, ” he added. Finance Minister Swarnim Wag­le, a former United Nations econo­mic adviser, takes up hard task of reforming Nepal’s battered economy. Foreign Minister Shishir Kha­n­­al, a former education minister, must balance landlocked Nepal’s relatio­­ns between giants India and China. Pakistan, China and India congratulated Shah on assuming office as prime minister. In a statement, President Asif Ali Zardari said that it was encouraging to see youth-led leadership shaping the region. “Pakistan values its enduring ties with Nepal and looks forward to deeper cooperation in all sectors, ” he added. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X: “Pakistan dee­ply values its longstanding and fri­endly relations with Nepal and lo­­oks forward to working closely with Your Excellency to further stren­g­then bilateral cooperation and adv­ance our shared goals of regional peace, stability, and prosperity. ” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he looked forward to taking “India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights”. Sushila Karki, 73, a former chief justice of Nepal who had led the caretaker administration for six months, said the country’s future lay in the hands of a younger generation. “It makes me even more deligh­ted to have a 35-year-old youth as my successor, ” the outgoing interim prime minister, who hugged Shah after he took the oath, said in a statement. Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2026

Read full story on Dawn