Valley
Govt crosses Lama’s name off envoy list
The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee on Friday decided to issue a 10-day public notice soliciting complaints against 12 ambassador nominees.The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee on Friday decided to issue a 10-day public notice soliciting complaints against 12 ambassador nominees.
Dhurva Ghimire, secretary at the panel, said a meeting of the PHSC decided to register complaints, if any, against the proposed envoys before their hearing.
Though some of the recommendations courted controversy, the government withdrew only the name of Asha Lama, who was proposed for the UAE mission.
After revelation of her controversial background, the government on Friday withdrew Lama’s name. She has a foreign employment business of sending Nepali migrant workers to the Gulf countries. She also faces charges of duping many of them.
The name of Sharmila Parajuli, who has been recommended as Nepal’s ambassador to Oman, however, was sent to the committee for deliberation.
The government on February 20 nominated Lama in the Nepali Congress quota while Parajuli was picked for the seat allotted to the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik, in a widely criticised practice of the political parties appointing their supporters to the prestigious offices.
The government also sent the names of 11 others, who were recommended for various Nepali diplomatic outposts, to the PHSC. Though Retd Brig Gen Bharat Bahadur Rayamajhi has been recommended for an ambassadorial position in Spain, his name was not forwarded with the government yet to open the embassy there.