At a time when domestic commitments and compulsions weigh on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, his five back-to-back foreign trips until November will stretch him further to deliver on his promises.

Apart from regular business, the PM has an all-important task of implementing the constitution, holding local level elections and speeding up the delayed post-earthquake reconstruction. Leaders from the ruling and opposition parties say the PM should spare time from foreign visits for the pressing domestic priorities. The main opposition CPN-UML is concerned that internal issues should not be overshadowed by Dahal’s foreign engagements.

The PM is embarking on a four-day official visit to India beginning on September 15. He will leave for New York on September 19 to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

After returning from the UNGA, he will attend the Second Asian Cooperative Summit in Thailand on October 8-10. Nepal recently became a member of the Asian Cooperative Dialogue and officials said that the PM’s participation in the summit is a must. Thai Ambassador Vutti Vuttisant on Monday handed over an invitation to Dahal to attend the summit.

After this, PM Dahal will have some time to mind domestic works before he leaves for Islamabad to participate in the 19th Summit of Saarc, of which Nepal is the current chair. Pakistan hosts the summit on November 9 and 10. Dahal will participate in the eighth Annual BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit in India on November 15 and 16. As the current chair, the PM has to be involved in several meetings and briefings of the Saarc.

This schedule does not include other visits to and from India and China. Nepal is also preparing to host presidents from India and China. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari is embarking on an official visit to the southern neighbour.

It is surely a challenging time for the PM and a lot depends on how he manages his time and strikes a balance between diplomacy and administration, said CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha. Though some visits seem to be important, the PM should focus more on domestic priorities, he added.

UML Vice-chairman Bhim Rawal advises Dahal not to spend too much of his time on foreign trips but focus on domestic duties.