Nepal govt tells Army not to comment on non-military issues

Kathmandu, June 24 (UNI) Nepal's Defence Ministry has asked the Army not to speak on political or policy issues following the Army's objection to Maoist leader Prachanda's remarks made last week.

''The ministry directs the Nepal Army not to issue any press release, refute any remark and hold press meet except in military functions, trainings and exercises,'' The Kathmandu Post quoted a Defence Ministry official as saying today.

''The Government has been dealing with such issues and will handle it too,'' Defence Ministry spokesperson Bhupendra Paudel said.

The Nepal Army had objected to the statement of Maoist Chief Prachanda who said the Nepal Army is ''good for nothing except killing people and murdering Nepalese women.'' The Nepal army cannot fight with Indian or Chinese army so the number of army personnel should be reduced from 20,000 to 10000, Prachanda said at a press conference held at Prime Minister G P Koirala's residence in Baluawatar last week.

Meanwhile, Mahantha Thakur, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister said the statement, which publicly came in the name of a person in the Nepal Army, was unfortunate.

''It was not proper for the Army to issue such statements at this sensitive time'' state run English newspaper The Rising Nepal quoted Mr Thakur as saying.

He said the government will investigate into the issue only after the return of the Prime Minister, who is undergoing treatment in Thailand.

UNI XC SI RAI1309