Kathmandu, November 18:

The Supreme Court today adjourned a hearing on a case on the agreement between the government and the UN for the deployment of Royal Nepal Army personnel in peacekeeping missions abroad.

“The bench adjourned the case without conducting a hearing on it on the request of government attorneys,” a Supreme Court official said.

A division bench of justices Ram Nagina Singh and Damodar Prasad Sharma was to hear the case.

Though the apex court had ordered the government to produce a copy of the agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had signed the agreement with the UN, has not furnished the copy of the agreement before the court.

Demanding that the government provide pay and other facilities to peacekeeping troops as per the agreement signed with the UN, the chairman of the Ex-Army Welfare Council,

Ambar Bahadur Thapa, had moved the Supreme Court four years ago. The petitioner had also accused the RNA of misusing the RNA welfare fund.

On August 23, a division bench of justices Anup Raj Sharma and Sharada Prasad Pundit had directed the ministry to furnish the copy of the agreement within 15 days or face a contempt of court action. Prior to the order, the apex court had, several times, directed the ministry and the RNA headquarters to furnish a copy of the agreement.