KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress senior leader and former Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola is no more.

Leader Bastola breathed his last at around 10:20 pm on Saturday in his own residence, according to Bastola's family friend Devi Prasad Baral.

NC spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma informed that Bastola's daughters are expected to arrive in Kathmandu tomorrow afternoon after which the senior leader's mortal remains will be kept at the party's central office for people to pay their last respects.

Bastola's health had deteriorated on Saturday afternoon following which he was taken to Bansbari based Neuro Hospital for treatment.

NC leaders including Giraja Prasad Koirala, Sushil Koirala, Durga Subedi, Basanta Bhattarai and Chakra Bastola had plotted and successfully executed hijacking of a plane carrying state money from Biratnagar. Bastola had driven the loot hauling automobile from Patna to Farbisgunj in India where his party colleagues had landed the plane.

Likewise, Bastola who spent jail time with Sushil Koirala at Bhagalpur Jail in Bihar following the hijacking was among the few Nepali leaders who had deep ties with Indian political leadership.

It has been learnt that Bastola during the first People Movement of 1990 had briefed the international community and sought support for Nepal’s democratic movement from Delhi, India.

Following the movement, Bastola was appointed as an ambassador to India and also became Nepal’s Agriculture and Tourism Minister.

When Nepal was facing insurgency, Bastola mediated the first meeting between NC leader Girija Prasad Koirala and erstwhile Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal. At that time, Nepali Congress was in government and had placed bounty on heads of Maoist leaders.