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From the Kathmandu Press: Friday, March 29, 2019

Reports related to the Investment Summit starting from Friday has received considerable attention in all major papers. The sentencing of former minister Sanjay Kumar Sah in connection with the Janakpur blasts has also received attention on the front pages of Friday’s newspapers.

Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:

Important

File: Sanjaya Sah

Former minister Sah sentenced to life

Annapurna Post, Nagarik, Kantipur, Republica and The Himalayan Times report that former state minister Sanjay Kumar Sah has been sentenced to life in connection with Janakpur bombing, which killed five persons. A bench of Justice Rajesh Kumar Katwal of Dhanusha District Court passed the verdict on Thursday. Mukesh Kumar Chaudhary, Ranjit Sah, Jaya Prakash Chaudhary, Suresh Kumar Karna, Mukesh Kumar Karna, and Ripendra Jha have also received life imprisonment.

Seven persons, including theatre artiste Ranju Jha and Maithli activist Jhagaru Mandal, Dipendra Das, Bimal Sharan Das, and Suresh Upadhyaya were killed when a bomb was detonated at a sit-in staged by Mithila State Struggle Committee at Ramananda Chowk of Janakpur on April 30, 2012.

Nepal and India discuss bilateral projects

Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times report that Nepal and India on Thursday made a comprehensive review of India-funded projects in Nepal during the official visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. This is Gokhale’s first visit to Nepal after taking charge as foreign secretary of India in January 2018.

Gokhale held delegation-level talks with his Nepali counterpart Shanker Das Bairagi before meeting Prime Minister Oli and Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali.

According to the Foreign Ministry, both foreign secretaries discussed different aspects of Nepal-India relations and reviewed the status of implementation of the various projects including those pertaining

During his meetings with Gyawali and Bairagi, Gokhale also raised the issue of terrorism, calling for countering it for regional peace and stability, sources said.

Ignored

Govt keeps security policy a secret 

The Kathmandu Post reports that the government is yet to make the National Security Policy public, even though it was passed by the cabinet nearly two weeks ago.

A senior official at the Ministry of Defence told the paper that Defence Minister Ishwor Pokharel has categorically asked officials not to disclose the contents of the document until he says so. Pokharel left for the United States on Tuesday to participate in a ministerial-level workshop of the countries that contribute to the UN peacekeeping mission.

Analysts say the move of not making public the security policy is a cause for concern as it comes in a series of some of the government actions which aim to control or block the flow of information. Making documents like security policies public is a common practice in democratic countries worldwide.

Visit of Pakistani Speaker postponed

Kantipur reports that the visit of Pakistani Members of Parliament has been postponed upon request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara had invited Pakistani Speaker and other parliamentarians to Nepal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also postponed the Secretariat level meeting between the two countries a week before the meeting was to take place. According to an official at the Secretariat, the meeting was postponed because it coincided with the Indian foreign minister’s visit to Nepal.

Interesting

A poster that activists demanding justice for Nirmala Pant prepared on a bag

Nirmala Pant murder: Two suspects arrested in Achham

Rajdhani reports that the Central Investigation Bureau has arrested two persons whom they believe are involved in the Nirmala Pant Murder case. CIB, however, hasn’t mentioned the names of those arrested. CIB is keeping things a secret after allegations that it was torturing innocent people during the investigation. CIB is planning to bring the two to Kathmandu in the coming days. The police spokesperson says that he knows nothing about the arrest.

SEE papers leaked in Province 2 

Naya Patrika and Kantipur report that SEE’s Science exam in Province 2 has been cancelled after its question paper got leaked via Facebook. The National Education Board cancelled the paper after finding out that the papers had been leaked in Saptari. The board has rescheduled the exam for April 5. The board has also formed a five-member committee to investigate how the question paper was leaked.

Committee formed to appoint heads of Transitional Justice bodies

Rajdhani reports that the government has formed a committee to recommend names for the head of the two transitional justice bodies; Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.

A recent meeting of the Council of Ministers formed the five-member panel under the leadership of former chief justice Om Prakash Mishra. Other members of the panel include senior advocate Ram Nath Mainali, Prem Bahadur Khadka, and Sharmila Karki.

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