Pant admitted that Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had telephoned Nepal in the morning, but denied that Dahal asked the prime minster about the Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari´s request to Indian officials for military assistance.
"Dahal had called the prime minister requesting the latter to promote a joint secretary to the post for secretary," Pant said. However, he declined to name the joint secretary.
There were media reports that Dahal warned Nepal about the government plan to import "military hardware" from India. Talking to myrepublica.com, an aide to Dahal had also quoted him as telling the prime minister that the government plan to import the weapons from India is against the letters and spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and such a move would derail the peace process.
Maoist leaders are strongly condemning the government after Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari, who is on a visit to India, on record said on Tuesday that she sought military assistance for Nepal from India.
India stopped supplying weapons to Nepal following the royal takeover in February 2005, but it has provided vehicles to the Nepal Army.
Nepal government has not imported arms from any country since the signing of the CPA with then CPN (Maoist).
An aide to Dahal quoted him as telling the prime minister that the government plan to import weapons from India is against the letters and spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and such a move would derail the peace process.
PM´s aide says Dahal called the prime minister, requesting the latter to promote a joint secretary to the post for secretary.
post@myrepublica.com
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