KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a mandamus order in the name of the government not to restrict the freedom of citizens to move freely inside or outside the country.

It has mentioned in the full text of the order made by a joint bench of Justices Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Kumar Regmi in the writ filed by Lelin Bista, a former child soldier of the then CPN (Maoist) that it is the constitutional rights of citizens to move freely inside or outside the country.

“The unimpeded enjoyment of personal freedom is necessary for the development of human personality, that is, for the right to live with dignity,” reads the order made by the apex court.

The ruling states that people can exercise their rights without hindrance in a democracy and no attempt can be made by the government to stop it.

Bista was returned from the Tribhuvan International Airport on August 24, 2018while he was on his way to Thailand to attend the International Youth Conference. Bista had filed a writ petition in the apex regarding the incident.