Kathmandu, June 26

Up to 40 Nepali migrant workers employed by G4S in Afghanistan will be returning to Nepal by tomorrow after they had a dispute with the employer company over security and pay hike.

Nepal’s charge d’affaires in Pakistan Tirtha Raj Aryal, who is now in Afghanistan, told THT over phone from Kabul that 20-30 security guards deployed by the employer company at several places quit their jobs and flew back home.

“They will reach home later tonight or tomorrow,” he said and added that Nepali workers had raised concerns about their security and pay hike in the face of the Taliban suicide blast that killed 13 Nepali workers last week.

“I heard that they almost came to blows,” Aryal said when asked if the irate Nepali security guards had a scuffle with the staff of employer company as reported in some media outlets.

Aryal said he raised the issue of Nepali workers with the concerned bodies.

He said the employer company assured him that it would facilitate the return of Nepali workers if they wanted to leave the job and return home.

Aryal said he also took up the matter of providing compensation and insurance to the families of the victims of the suicide blast with the employer company and concerned bodies.

“The employer company and the mission where the victims were working have forwarded our concerns to higher authorities,” Aryal added.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bharat Raj Paudyal told THT that MoFA would be able to know the exact number of people returning from Afghanistan only after they return home.

A government source said since Afghan cities were less connected with other cities of the world, it would be impossible for Nepali nationals to return home within 24 hours.

Some media outlets reported that 40 Nepalis employed by G4S were returning home tonight. A government source said it was possible that all the Nepalis who initially told their employer that they would quit and return home might change their mind at the last minute and continue working there.

“I will not be surprised if those who came back from Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban suicide blast return to the war-torn country after a few months.

“I have seen such things happening in the past,” the source added.