Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has said that the decision to recommend amnesty for Maoist Lawmaker Balkrishna Dhungel will not be reconsidered.
Speaking to the press at the airport after returning home on Saturday evening from the Maldives following participation in the 17th SAARC Summit held in Addu city of the Maldives, Prime Minister Bhattarai said the government has made the recommendation according to the due process and it would not be relevant to criticize the decision taken in a special circumstances. Dhungel has been convicted in a murder case by the Supreme Court.
“It was agreed to withdraw the cases from the conflict period as per the peace agreement; recommendation for granting clemency to CA member Dhungel has been made accordingly and it is but natural in a multi-party system for the opposition parties to show their dissent and give suggestions,” Prime Minister Bhattarai said, reiterating the government’s desire to reconcile.
During the interaction, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai also briefed the press on his participation at the 17th SAARC Summit. He said that the summit has been productive in terms of promoting regional cooperation. Bhattarai said that the heads of state or governments of the South Asian countries have agreed to end the misunderstandings between the SAARC member countries and expand friendship and understanding among them, increasing connectivity through air, water and surface transport and communications as well as promoting the people-to-people relations in the region.
He said the leaders of the SAARC member states agreed to promote unhindered flow of goods and physical connectivity.
The prime minister added that the heads of states or governments of all the eight countries of the SAARC expressed their commitment to take the regional group to a new height by agreeing to build the infrastructures for collaboration, cooperation and participation among the countries of the South Asia region.
He stated that the SAARC Council of Ministers has been directed for fully and effectively implementing the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and that the Council shall work towards removing all difficulties including the obstacles in the export of goods and services.
“We believe that the agreement would be fruitful to a country with small economy like ours to ease trade,” the prime minister said, expressing his hope that SAFTA would be useful in promoting investment and trade.
Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai said the bilateral talks that he held with the heads of state and governments of all the member countries of the SAARC and with the representatives of the observer states in connection with the Summit had been productive in promoting Nepal’s relations with those respective countries.
The Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, ministers, heads of constitutional bodies and high ranking officials were present at the airport to receive the prime minister.