KATHMANDU: In a written response submitted to the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Balendra Shah has defended the formation of the Property Inquiry Commission.

He has argued that it was established to address the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s (CIAA) prolonged failure to investigate the wealth of political figures and high-ranking bureaucrats.

Clarifying that the newly formed commission does not overlap with or replace the CIAA’s constitutional mandate, PM Shah explained that while the CIAA primarily reacts to formal complaints, it has struggled to proactively monitor the unaccounted wealth of long-serving officials, fueling public suspicion and a culture of impunity.

He noted that unlike the CIAA, this commission is a temporary body formed under the Inquiry Commission Act, 2026, aimed solely at collecting data, tracing offshore assets, and compiling a comprehensive report to forward to relevant enforcement bodies for legal action.

Prime Minister Shah maintained that the initiative aligns with the government’s 100-point governance reform agenda to enhance transparency and rule of law without stripping the CIAA of any constitutional powers.