Nepal

Boost to army integration:Panel to sort out technical process in three months

Boost to army integration:Panel to sort out technical process in three months

By Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 27:

A meeting of the Special Committee on supervision, rehabilitation and integration of Unified CPN-Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) combatants today decided to complete all technical works related to the process within the next three months.

“We decided to accomplish all technical works of the integration process within three months,” said Mohammad Habibulla, a member of the committee.

Eight members of the technical committee, formed under the special committee on Wednesday, assumed their responsibility today. “The committee will start its work within a couple of days,” Habibulla added.

The committee has Barshaman Pun, former deputy commander of the PLA, and conflict expert Indrajit Rai from the Unified CPN-Maoist; Balananda Sharma, former lieutenant general of Nepali Army (NA) and Shambhuram Shimkhada, former residential representative to the UN, from Nepali Congress; Gopal Singh Bohara, former brigadier general of NA, and Dipak Prakash Bhatta from the CPN-UML and Ramananda Mishra, former government secretary, and Sadananda Kurmi, former Superintendent of Police (SP). Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is under pressure from foreign diplomats in Nepal to wrap up the fate of the PLA soldiers by July 23, according to sources.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the members of the UN Security Council are not willing to extend the term of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which was set up in Nepal as UN’s field office in 2005 to monitor the peace process. The term of the OHCHR expires on July 23.