Home Minister Khand takes initiative to forge agreement on citizenship bill

KATHMANDU: MARCH. 8 – Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has begun discussions at different level in a bid to forge agreement on the bill relating to the amendment of Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063.

During the discussion, the participants viewed citizens were deprived of their rights including education and employment. The Bill must be concluded by making political agreement on it soon, they stressed.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Dilendra Prasad Badu, NC Chief Whip Pushpa Bhushal, lawmaker of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Laxman Lal Karna, Attorney General Khamma Bahadur Khati, Secretary at Home Ministry, Tek Narayan Pande, Secretary aat Law Ministry, Udaya Raj Sapkota and others attended the discussion on Monday.

On the occasion, Home Minister Khand said political consensus was must to pass the bill. The government was for passing the bill with the representation of political parties in the parliament. Many people were deprived of their right to citizenship due to long pending of the bill to amend the Citizenship Act.

He further informed that he would try to forge consensus among lawmakers of the different political parties first, then forward it to the top political leaderships.

Law Minister Badu said the bill would be presented in the parliament after ensuring political consensus among top leadership.

Similarly, Nepali Congress Whip Pushpa Bhushal said the bill must be passed to guarantee citizenship right to the eligible Nepali people.

Attorney General Khati was of the view that laws need to be updated, so the citizenship bill could be forwarded as the document of political consensus.