Nepal tense over ‘import’ of arms

Maoists in Nepal laid seized to two Armed Police Force vehicles for nearly six hours on Friday night alleging they were being used to bring arms from India in violation of the peace agreement.

Updated on: Feb 20, 2010, 23:21:04 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Maoists in Nepal laid seized to two Armed Police Force (APF) vehicles for nearly six hours on Friday night alleging they were being used to bring arms from India in violation of the peace agreement.

Police resorted to force to finally release the vehicles and bring them to the APF headquarters in Kathmandu on Saturday morning.

Some UCPN (Maoist) leaders and members of the party’s youth wing, Young Communist League, were injured.

“There was no violation of the peace agreement. The trucks were transporting arms and explosives meant for APF training from one place to another,” said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Home Minister Bhim Rawal also denounced the Maoist allegation that the peace agreement, which imposed a ban on arms procurement by Nepal Army during the peace process, had been violated.

“The agreement doesn’t impose restriction on arms import by Nepal Police or APF. By making such allegations, Maoists are trying to derail the peace process and create an atmosphere of lawlessness,” he said.

Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma, however, said that the government was trying to procure arms for Nepal Army by using the APF and derail the peace process.

The peace agreement signed between the Maoists and the Nepal government in 2006 after the civil war had stipulated that neither Peoples’ Liberation Army (the armed wing of CPN (Maoist) or the Nepal Army would procure arms till completion of the peace process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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