Foreign Minister NP Saud requests Qatar to help release Bipin Joshi

Kathmandu / Nov. 24: Foreign Minister NP Saud has requested Qatar to make efforts for the release of Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who has been held hostage by Hamas militants.

The foreign minister made such a request to Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi during a courtesy call paid by the latter at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singha Durbar on Friday.

The foreign minister made a special request to take initiatives to secure the release of Joshi along with 50 hostages to be freed by Hamas, according to Deepak Raj Joshi, chief personal secretary to Foreign Minister Saud.

Israel and Hamas started a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday that appeared to be holding shakily with no major reports of bombings, artillery strikes or rocket attacks, although both sides were accused of violations, Reuters reported.

The first truce in the seven-week-long war is meant to be accompanied by the release of 50 women and children hostages captured by militants, in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.

In response, the Qatari state minister assured that he would do everything possible for Joshi’s release.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Saud also praised the Qatari government’s role as a mediator for the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of citizens held hostage by Hamas.

The meeting featured various matters of mutual interest including trade, investment, cooperation, welfare of Nepalese living in Qatar, among others, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Al-Muraikhi arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday on a two-day official visit.

He is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday and fly back home.

Nepal on Thursday reiterated the call for the immediate release of Nepali student Joshi.

Joshi is one of the 17 Nepali students who were living at Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel, close to the Gaza Strip, and came under attack from the Islamist group that rules the strip, according to the foreign ministry.

On Monday, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) had said that Joshi was held hostage by the Hamas militants.

Issuing a press release on Monday, the Embassy of Nepal in Tel Aviv said that the spokesperson for the IDF had confirmed that Joshi was in the captivity of the militant group.

However, Joshi’s state of well-being, and whereabouts are still unknown, the embassy had said.

The surprise attack last month left 10 Nepali students, who had reached the West Asian country under a ‘Learn and Earn Programme’, dead and four others injured.