Kathmandu, September 3:

Deputy Commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Nanda Kishor Pun ‘Pasang’ today urged all concerned to give high priority to the integration of PLA into the national army as the integration was the integral part of the peace process.

Speaking at an interaction, he said the Nepal Army (NA) should be ‘transformed into a national army’ on the basis of the comprehensive peace accord (CPA).

He claimed that the PLA personnel had not got the agreed salaries for the past 11 months, were spending nights under the open sky and lacked proper food.

CA Member Indrajit Rai said there should be no delay in making a national security policy and that a special committee should be formed for the army integration.

Another CA Member and NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said there was no mention of integration of the Maoist fighters into the Nepal Army in the CPA.

Security experts Gopal Singh Bohara and CP Gurung said the issue of army integration should not be taken lightly and it should be done in line with the CPA.