Former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala no more

Kathmandu / February 9: Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has passed away at 12:50 this night at his residence in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu.

The former Prime Minister was 76. He was suffering from pneumonia and fever for the past few days. Country’s 37th Prime Minister, Koirala was born to Bodh Prasad Koirala and Kumunidi on August, 12 1939.

NC’s senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel, general secretaries Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula and a large number of NC cadres have reached Koirala’s residence to pay tribute to the party president.

Issuing a press statement, the Nepali Congress has said that the entire programmes of the party’s 13th general convention have been postponed until next notice after the demise of party president Koirala.

Likewise, the party has called an emergency meeting of the central working committee (CWC) at 11:00 this morning at the party’s central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur.

NC Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel said that Koirala’s body would be kept at his residence till 8:00 am and would be kept at the party central office in Sanepa till 12 noon. The body would be brought at Dasharath Stadium for condolence.

The body of Koirala is being taken to the party central office, Sanepa, from his Maharajgunj-based residence.

Koirala’s body is kept in a Nepal Police truck (Ba 1 Ga 2209) to proceed towards the party central office.

Lokendra Bahadur Malla, the Spokesperson of Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, Ramshahpath, said that the route to take the veteran leader’s body is fixed from Maharajgunj-Lazimpat to Tripureshwor-Teku to Balkhu and Sanepa.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has paid tribute to late Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Koirala.

PM Oli reached Koriala’s residence at Maharajgunj a short while ago and paid tribute to Koirala.

Likewise, Deputy Prime Ministers Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar and CP Mainali and Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet also reached Maharajgunj to condole the demise of former Prime Minister Koirala.

Furthermore, former Prime Minister and CPN (UML) senior leader Jhalanath Khanal and Vice-Chairman Bamdev Gautam and other leaders paid tribute to late Koirala.

Chiefs of the constitutional bodies and high-ranking officials of security forces also paid tribute to Koirala by reaching Maharajgunj this morning.

Currently, a large number of NC cadres, leaders and well-wishers have gathered in Maharajgunj to pay tribute to the party President. RSS