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Kathmandu,Tuesday March 07, 2000 Fagun 24, 2056.
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Mahat refutes Indian claim
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, March 6 - Foreign Minister Ram Sharan
Mahat today denied reports that Nepal had given a go ahead to place Indian security
personnel at Kathmandu’s International Airport (TIA) following the hijacking of an
Indian Airlines passenger jet.
"There is no truth in the news report. Nepal
has not agreed to such an arrangement," Minister Mahat said in the House of
Representatives today.
"Nepal is totally responsible for the security
arrangement at TIA and Nepal is committed to providing security at the airport,"
Minister Mahat said.
On Saturday, AFP news reports from New Delhi had
claimed that Nepal had addressed to security lapses at its international airport and had
agreed in principle to allow Indian security to operate.
It had reported that Indian Airlines flights to
Nepal frozen after the hijacking in December last year could be resumed only after India
would finalise security arrangements at the Kathmandu Airport.
Before Mahat addressed the House, opposition
members demanded the government make clear its stand on the news report.
"This is a very serious issue and it is
irresponsible of our government to delay reacting on the claim," Subash Nebwang of
the main opposition CPN-UML said.
Jagatnath Khatiwada, also of CPN-UML, Hari Acharya
of the National People’s Front and Lilamani Pokhrel of the United People’s Front
too criticized the government for not reacting to the news report.
The report had quoted Indian Minister of State for
Civil Aviation Chaman Lal Gupta as saying that India wanted their own security personnel
to be stationed at that airport for security checks and some compromise was being agreed
on that matter and talks were at a advanced stage.
Since the Indian Airlines jet with 179 people was
hijacked on Christmas eve last year minutes after taking off from TIA, Indian Airlines has
suspended all its flights to Nepal.
Meanwhile, amid the absence of Speaker Taranath
Ranabhat, lawmakers today began regular business of this winter session of parliament.
Speaker Ranabhat flew to Australia on Sunday that
drew criticism from the members. "It was irresponsible of the Speaker to leave on a
foreign trip when the winter session had just convened," Nepal Workers and
Peasant’s Party Chairman Narayan Man Bijucche said.
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