KATHMANDU, March 1: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stopped the visit of US intelligence agency Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Joseph Burns, who was about to come to Nepal.

According to sources, PM Dahal has stopped CIA Director Burns, who had sent a schedule to visit Nepal on February 15, saying that it is not the right time to visit Nepal.

"CIA Director William Joseph Burns had submitted the schedule to land in Kathmandu at 6:30 PM on February 15 and return at 1:15 PM on the 16th," said a source in the PM’s Office, " But after PM Dahal instructed not to approve the visit by the CIA director, Chief Secretary Shankardas Bairagi informed the Ministry of External Affairs.

Sources claim that PM Dahal did not allow the visit of Burns citing reasons such as the presidential election. "The presidential election has been given the reason behind the denial," said a senior official of the PM’s Office.

According to the source, Burns was about to arrive in Nepal while he was in Sri Lanka for which he had sent the tour schedule for approval by the Nepal government. According to sources, the Nepali embassy in the US and the US Embassy in Nepal had started preparations for the CIA director's visit to Nepal. These bodies had informed Burns about Nepal's security arrangements.

 
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