All Party Meeting discusses Border Issues; leaders suggest to adopt diplomatic channel to solve the issue

Kathmandu, Nov 9: An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held at Baluwatar on Saturday.

The meeting has been called to hold discussion on the disputed border issues with India.

The prime minister is having meeting with former Prime Ministers, former foreign ministers and senior leaders of different political parties on Nepal-India border issues at Kalapani and Lipulek.

Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, main opposition Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, former Prime Minister duo Madhav Kumar Nepal and Lokendra Bahadur Chand attended the meeting.

Also present in the meeting among others are Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel, NCP leader Bhim Rawal, former DPM and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa and former foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey.

At the onset of the meeting, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali stressed the urgency for developing common understanding on the border issues in the context when India has recently unveiled a new political map in an unilateral manner.

Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that they suggested to PM Oli to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister to resolve the issue.
Dr. Bhattarai said he asked PM Oli to form a political commission under the PM leadership to hold discussion with Indian government.
He also said all political parties should make a common voice on border issues and other national issues.

The then chairman of Interim Council of Ministers Khilraj Regmi also seconded Dr. Bhattarai’s views, suggesting forming a political and technical commission to hold discussions with Indian sides over the issues.
Likewise, former foreign Minister Kamal Thapa opined that all sides should stand together to protest such move of encroachment.
“Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura are Nepali territory.” said Thapa.

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani suggested to the government to take diplomatic initiatives to safeguard country’s territories based on facts and evidences.

He also called for all parties to come together on the issue of nationality and the government to take concrete initiatives in this regard.

The Ministry’s move followed mounting public pressure against India’s recent attempt of placing Nepal’s territories in its map.