PM Shah and army chief hold talks amid security concerns

Kathmandu / Aug. 04: Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Chief of Army Staff Ashok Sigdel held a meeting at Singha Durbar on Tuesday, with discussions covering current affairs, according to officials.

Shah met Sigdel at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. A source at the Prime Minister’s Office said the two discussed contemporary issues, without providing further details.

Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet said the meeting was part of routine coordination between the prime minister and the army chief, as the prime minister also holds the defence portfolio.

“The prime minister is also responsible for the Ministry of Defence, so regular meetings between them are normal. This meeting was held in that context,” Basnet told Kantipur.

The meeting came amid a dispute between Kathmandu-3 lawmaker Raju Pandey and army personnel over a road expansion project in Gokarneshwar. Some sources said the issue was also discussed during the meeting, although the army said coordination with the concerned parties was already underway.

On Monday, Pandey and other local representatives reached the site while authorities were expanding the road from Makalbari towards the Gokarneshwar Temple. A dispute broke out after they attempted to remove a boundary wall under army protection.

A military officer stationed at the site asked the representatives to show official documents authorising the demolition. The officer objected, saying the area contained an army barracks and troops were stationed there.

Pandey responded that he would look into the matter related to the barracks, but insisted that the road passing through the forest area fell under the jurisdiction of the Nepal Trust, which is chaired by the minister for infrastructure development. He said the expansion work would not be halted.

“If there is any confusion, I can connect you with the prime minister,” Pandey told the officer. A video of the exchange, in which the officer is heard responding, “No, no,” has since circulated publicly.

The army spokesperson said the issue was being handled through coordination with the relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, a Prime Minister’s Office official said Sigdel also briefed Shah on the security situation following the recent unrest in the Tarai districts.