Kathmandu, October 16
The government has lifted the ban on sending Nepali workers to Afghanistan. This has made way for sending Nepali nationals to work as security guards in the Green Zone.
Minister for Labour and Transport, Surya Man Gurung, told Onlinekhabar that a Cabinet meeting held before Dashain decided to lift the ban on sending Nepali workers to Afghanistan.
The government had imposed the ban about three months ago, after the Taliban attack in Kabul that killed 13 Nepali workers.
A government taskforce had stated in its report that Nepali nationals can be sent to Afghanistan only if concerned sides can provide some sort of security guarantee.
However, in a secretive manner, the government decided to lift the ban timing its decision with Dashain holidays.
According to a source, the government gave in to pressure from manpower agencies as well as the United States and Canada, which have embassies in the war-torn country.
Minister Gurung told Onlinekhabar they lifted the ban upon finding that security challenges for Nepali guards were not as serious as they were thought out to be.
Gurung said they will put forth a condition, making employment agencies arrange accommodations for the workers in the workplace itself. If that’s not possible, according to Gurung, the government will seek guarantee of high security while transporting the workers to the workplace and back to their quarters.
On its part, the Department of Foreign Employment said it has not yet received official information about the government decision.
