Government Corresponds to Recall 11 Nepali Ambassadors Despite Supreme Court Interim Order

The government has sent a formal correspondence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) instructing it to recall Nepali ambassadors from 11 countries and have them report back to the Ministry.

According to the MoFA, the letter was received on Monday, directing the ambassadors to return to Nepal following the earlier Cabinet decision. Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri confirmed that the government has formally asked the Ministry to summon all 11 ambassadors.

The move comes just a day after the Supreme Court issued an interim order against the government’s decision to recall those ambassadors. The Court, on Sunday, instructed the government not to implement the decision until a final verdict is reached on the writ petition filed against it.

Earlier, a meeting of the Council of Ministers held on October 16 had decided to recall by November 6 the ambassadors who were appointed on political grounds. However, the decision was challenged in court, with the petitioners claiming it was unlawful and violated due process.

The Supreme Court, after a preliminary hearing, ordered the government to suspend the decision temporarily, creating a situation of legal and administrative uncertainty over the recall process. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to clarify whether it will proceed with the recall in light of the Court’s interim order.