KATHMANDU: The last rites of former prime minister and Nepali Congress president late Girija Prasad Koirala concluded in Pashupati Aryaghat will full state honours on Sunday. His daughter Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala lit the funeral pyre to the strains of the national anthem by the Nepal Army band.

The funeral procession began from 3pm from Dasharath Stadium where his body was kept for the public to pay tributes. The procession made its way through different places of the city including Sundhara, Ratnapark, Bagbazaar, Putalisadak, Dillibazaar, Maitidevi, Old Baneshwor, Battisputali and Gaushala en route to its destination Pashupati Aryaghat for cremation.

Late Koirala’s daughter Sujata Koirala, acting president Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, vice president Ram Chandra Poudel, general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi and leader Ram Saran Mahat among others leding the funeral rally which was attended by thousands of people.

Acting president Koirala, leaders Deuba and Mahat greeted people standing on the sides of the road with flowers and garlands in their hands to pay their final tribute to Koirala. The participants of the procession chanted slogans like '“GPK’s dream: Peace and Constitution.”

Security personnel were hard at work controlling the traffic for the smooth movement of the procession. Security was tightened on the route, police said.

Meanwhile, Indian leaders including former president of Bharatiya Janata Party Rajnath Singh, general secretary of National Party of India B.P Tripathi, Indian CPI leader Sitaram Yechury, Prime Minister Madav Kumar Nepal, CA chairman Subash Chandra Nembang, Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, Education Minister Sarbendra Nath Sukla, chairman of UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal, UML leader Bam Dev Gautam, former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, chiefs of security bodies were present in Pashupati Aryaghat to pay their last homage to late Girija Prasad Koirala.

Koirala family members including Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala, Indian leaders, media persons including foreign journalists, members of civil society and thousands of civilians attended the funeral in Pashupati Aryaghat. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav was also at the venue to attend the cremation function.

Earlier thousands of people including high ranking officials at home and abroad had paid their last tributes to Koirala in the stadium.