PM seeks details of the Nepalis serving time in foreign jails

Ramesh Lamsal / Kathmandu, Aug 12: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to collect the details of the Nepalis spending time in jails in foreign countries and provide.

The Prime Minister summoned Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi on Friday to his official residence, Baluwatar and expressed his serious concern over problems facing Nepalis reached in gulf countries as migrant workers.

Frequent media reports state that Nepali migrant workers have been facing hard times in gulf countries; their professional security has not been guaranteed; and those in jail have been living miserably. And, such news was never good for the country, he said, directing the Foreign Secretary to do the needful immediately to address their problems and ensure release of those languishing in jail, according to PM’s personal assistant secretary Manohari Timilsina.

“How many Nepalis are serving jail sentence in gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Malaysia, and how many have been jobless,” he questioned, seeking the concrete answer soon, so that the government could take a right decision to address these problems.

The Prime Minister inquired about the condition of Ramchandra Timilsina who is serving jail sentence in gulf. In response, Secretary Bairagi informed the PM that Rs 2.8 million has so far been collected from private sector to manage the fund for blood money for his release.

Significant fall in the petroleum products in the international market has led many companies in the gulf to a closure and Nepalis working there have become jobless. Some of them came home with the help of respective companies, Secretary Bairagi said.

Likewise, arrangements have been made for the rescue of 41 Nepali workers left stranded in the Saudi Arabia. They were hired by one of the largest construction companies ‘ Saudi Ogar ‘, but have been jobless since the beginning of this year.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister instructed the Foreign Ministry to take all possible measures to rescue the Nepalis ditched in the Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and other gulf countries. RSS