Kathmandu, June 23

Nepal has decided to seek compensation from the Canadian government for the families of 13 Nepalis who used to guard the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, and were killed in a suicide attack on June 20.

Six Nepali security guards were injured in the attack.

The government will also seek immediate release of adequate compensation from the British security consultancy firm, Sabre International, which had hired the Nepalis to guard the Canadian mission.

Nepal’s Ambassador to Canada Kali Prasad Pokhrel has been instructed to take necessary steps to claim compensation for the victims’ kin, informed a senior officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Charge d’Affairs of Nepal to Pakistan, Tirtha Raj Aryal, who concurrently looks after Afghanistan, has also been asked to meet Kabul-based Canadian embassy officials.

A total of 147 Nepali citizens — mostly former staffers of Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police — used to guard the Canadian mission before the terrorist attack. The Canadian Embassy had not recruited the ill-fated Nepalis directly, but had hired them via a British security consultancy firm, Sebre International.

The families of those killed and those injured have said the Canadian government had done precious little to assuage their feelings even after the deadly attack claimed by Taliban.

A high-level meeting held at the foreign ministry discussed ways to get “maximum compensation” for the victims and concluded to make diplomatic efforts to this effect.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa, Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Labour and Employment Minister Deepak Bohara, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Ananda Raj Pokhrel and acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Baldev Raj Mat and Chief of Nepal Police Upendra Aryal.

The meeting concluded with a decision to make available Rs 1 million compensation for families of the deceased and evacuate those Nepalis who want to return home from Afghanistan, according to an official.

Meanwhile, the body of Chyangwa Tamang, who succumbed to blast injuries in Kabul on Wednesday, will arrive in Kathmandu on Friday morning.

MoFA spokesperson Bharat Raj Paudyal said the mortal remains of late Tamang had already been brought to New Delhi from Kabul and were due to arrive in Kathmandu at 8:30am tomorrow.