The government has announced a public holiday on Tuesday on the occasion of the state visit of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, who is also the government’s spokesperson, said a meeting of the Council of Ministers held at Singha Durbar on Monday decided to grant a public holiday.

Qatari Emir Al-Thani is arriving in Kathmandu on Tuesday on a two-day Nepal visit on an invitation by President Ramchandra Paudel.

Emir Al-Thani will meet President Paudel on Tuesday and attend a state banquet hosted in his honour.

He will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday. Following the talks, both leaders will witness the signing ceremony of bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

His earlier Nepal visit scheduled for November 6 and 7 last year was postponed due to emerging tensions in the Middle East, followed by the clash between Israel and Hamas militants.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet meeting also forwarded an ordinance to amend Some Nepal Acts Related to the Facilitation of Investment to President Paudel for authentication.

The meeting decided to assign the role of Finance Secretary to Madhu Kumar Marasini. Secretary Krishna Hari Puskar has been transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Marasini was suspended after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a graft case against government officials including him on October 3, 2023, on charges of corruption while procuring the National Payment Gateway system. The Special Court acquitted Marasini on Friday.