Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Onasari Gharti and Attorney General Raman Kumar Shrestha were conspicuous by their absence on Tuesday at a Supreme Court programme, causing many to raise an eyebrow with speculations that they skipped the Law Day function following a recent executive-judiciary tussle.

President Bidya Devi Bhandrai, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Minister for Information and Communications Surendra Karki, however, attended the programme.

An impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki filed by the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) on April 30 had met with widespread criticism. But the apex court on Friday stayed the impeachment motion and ordered Parliament to put the impeachment motion on hold.

The rapid developments were seen as a confrontation between the executive, judiciary and Parliament. The prime minister, attorney general, law minister, other Cabinet members were invited to the tea reception to mark the Law Day. 

“The impeachment motion against Karki is yet to be withdrawn. So the prime minister and others skipped the function,” said an aide to PM Dahal.

Addressing the function, CJ Karki said that court should not be targeted based on “personal interest or on the basis of class”. “Democracy will be in jeopardy if the independence of the judiciary is attacked,” she said.