KATHMANDU, April 20: Nepalese police shot dead three people and wounded scores more on Thursday as tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators defied shoot-on-sight curfew orders in Kathmandu.

Huge crowds tested the resolve of armed police and soldiers stationed around the ring road to protect an inner-city curfew.

Violence erupted at several spots as security forces dispersed demonstrators with a mixture of gunfire, tear gas and baton charges, leaving a trail of casualties.

At the royal palace a special Indian envoy stressed to King Gyanendra ‘the objective of urgently restoring multi-party democracy’ after he seized absolute power 14 months ago, New Delhi’s embassy said.

Envoy Karan Singh later said he was ‘hopeful that the king will make an announcement shortly. The ball is in the king’s court’.

Official sources said the king was expected to look once again to the political old guard to form a new government, but strike leaders have dismissed the veterans in their seventies and eighties as history.

Outside on the streets, demonstrators were dying.

But the seven-party alliance spearheading the pro-democracy campaign called for a rally in the capital on Friday.

“We appeal to all people to participate in the massive demonstration on Ring Road on Friday at 12 noon,” a ‘mass movement coordinating committee’ said. A general strike, which entered its 15th day on Thursday, ‘will continue with more intensity in the capital and across the country until further notice’, the parties said.—AFP