The prime minister called Thapa and Katawal to his residence for an ice-breaking meeting aimed at normalizing the growing rift between the Defense Ministry and the Nepal army, and is reported to have asked them not to turn the retirement of army generals and recruitment by the Nepal army into matters of personal prestige.
According to a source close to the prime minister, Dahal expressed worry over the rift that he claimed has created doubts among the people about the success of the ongoing peace process and suspicion that regressive forces have been given a chance to raise their head. “The prime minister hoped at the meeting that the rift would not worsen during his upcoming Europe visit,” said the source.
Thapa and Katawal have been at loggerheads ever since the Defense Ministry asked Army Headquarters to stop the process of recruiting more than 2,800 personnel when the process was already in the final stage.
The Supreme Court okayed the recruitment and ended that row but they found themselves in a second round of differences when Thapa rejected recommendations made by Katawal for extending the terms of eight army generals a couple of weeks ago. The second issue is now under the Supreme Court’s consideration. The apex court has asked the government not to implement its letter retiring the generals.
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