PL SINGH ATTENDS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF KING PRITHVI NARAYAN SHAH THE GREAT UPDATE

QUAKE JOLTS NORTH DIKHTEL
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: A quake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale with its epicenter at Dikhtel in the West was recorded at 2.34 Wednesday, National Seismological Centre (NSC), Lainchaur, said
The quake is on moderate intensity.
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PL SINGH ATTENDS 290TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF KING PRITHVI NARAYAN SHAH THE GREAT
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: The 290th birth anniversary of King Prithvi Narayan Shah the great was marked by organising a function at the western gate of Singha Durbar in the Capital, on Wednesday, RSS reports.

Leaders, journalists, and others participating at the programme offered garlands, flowers and vermillion powder at the statute of the nation builder Shah's statue in the function organised by Prithvi Jayanti Main Civil Function Committee.

Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Nepal Kamal Thapa, former minister and co-chairman of the committee Dr. Durga Pokhrel, RPP leader Rajeshwor Devkota, Deenbandhu Aryal, senior journalists Mathawar Singh Basnet, Yubaraj Ghimire, Prakash Koirala, PL Singh and others had participated in the function.

Talking briefly to the mediapersons after the function, Chairman of RPP-Nepal Thapa urged to mark Paush 27 as the day of national unity by giving public holiday and respecting the contribution of the great King Shah.

He discussed that the national unity and integrity have been in crisis at present and urged the political leaders to raise them beyond the party interest and work for the sake of the country.

He further stressed on the need for including great king Prithvi Narayan Shah's picture in Nepali currency notes and withdrawing the decision to remove former king Tribhuvan's statue from Shahidgate.

Co-chairman of the committee Dr. Pokhrel said Prithvi Narayan Shah should be taken as the symbol of national unity and discussed that Shah was the king influenced by democratic thought and principle.

The committee has decided to conclude the National Unity Day on Thursday by organizing various programmes at the Kathmandu Durbar Square.
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PAC DISCUSSES ‘IRREGULARITIES’ IN TRANSPORTING ARMY RATION
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday held discussions with the Ministry of Defence regarding the irregularities said to have taken place in course of transporting the ration for the Nepali Army (NA), RSS reports.

The PAC held discussions on the issue with the Secretary at the Ministry of Defence and the high-ranking officers of the NA in its meeting held at Singha Durbar.

The PAC had asked the Ministry of Defence to provide it with the details regarding the transportation of the ration for the NA's Charbahini Battalion, Nepalgunj; the Birdal Battalion, Jajarkot; the Bhagawatidal Battalion, Salyan; the Mahindradal Battalion, Rukum, among others, citing misappropriation in the contracts for supplying ration to these battalions.

CA member of the Unified CPN-Maoist, Narayan Dahal said the Defence Ministry should provide the necessary information as there is ground to suspect irregularities due to the unusual activities at the time of submission of tenders for the transportation of the ration.

CA member of the Nepali Congress Deep Kumar Upadhyaya stressed that the Ministry of Defence should adopt the e-bidding process in the coming days and to explain the rate of transportation of the ration according to the different districts.

Another CA member of the Nepali Congress, Dhan Raj Gurung criticizsed the NA for the opaque dealings in the transportation of the ration.

In response, Defence Secretary Nabin Ghimire claimed that the Ministry of Defence has carried out the tender process according to the existing laws and pointed out the need for new legislation regarding e-bidding and the rate of transportation.
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BANGLADESH DEPUTY SPEAKER IN TOWN
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: Deputy Speaker of Bangladesh Shawkat Ali paid a courtesy call on chairman of the Constituent Assembly Subash Nembang at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, RSS reports.

On the occasion, the two discussed historical relations and contemporary political issues between the two countries.

Present on the occasion were General Secretary of the Legislature -Parliament Manohar Prasad Bhattarai and Bangladeshi ambassador to Nepal.
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BODY FORMED TO PROMOTE NEPAL, SRI LANK TIES

Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: A Nepal-Sri Lanka friendship society has been formed under the patronship of Sri Lankan Ambassador Thosapala Hewage with an objective of acquiring and defusing knowledge for bilateral understanding and promoting travel between the two countries, RSS reports.

The society was formed by a special gathering of renowned Buddhist scholars, diplomats, tourism entrepreneurs and media persons organized at the Sri Lankan Embassy on January 7.

At the program, Ambassador Hewage said the society aims to promote bilateral trade and tourism, strengthen relations in the peoples´ level and enable cultural exchange.

The 17-member Society has Joy Dewan as chairman, Sunil Dahal vice chairman, Khenpo Ningma Lama as general secretary, Mahadeva Sharma as secretary and Deepak Amatya as treasurer.

Similarly, the gathering also formed an advisory committee comprising Khenpo Lhargyal Lama, TU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Hira Bahadur Maharjan, former Ambassador to Japan Dr. Bishnuhari Nepal, Ang Chhiring Sherpa, Prof. Dr. Yubaraj Sangraula and DW Abeywichrama.
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PAKISTAN ARMY WARNS PM
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: Pakistan's army warned Wednesday that critical comments made by the prime minister would have "serious ramifications" and could wreak "potentially grievous consequences for the country", AFP reports from Islamabad.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani earlier in the week told China's People's Daily online that the army chief and head of intelligence services had acted unlawfully by making unilateral submissions to an ongoing Supreme Court inquiry.

The court's commission is investigating a controversial unsigned memo that allegedly sought the help of the US military in curbing the Pakistan military's power in the wake of the covert US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May last year.

The probe has again pitted the country's powerful armed forces against the weak civilian leadership with Gilani's comments unusually bold in speaking out against army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha.

Gilani said the two military leaders should have sought the government's approval before giving their submissions to the probe.

"There can be no allegation more serious than what the honourable prime minister has levelled against COAS and DG ISI (army chief and spy chief) and has unfortunately charged the officers for violation of the constitution of the country," said the army's statement.

"This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country."

Kayani returned on Tuesday from China and met on Wednesday with the head of Myanmar's air force in Rawalpindi.
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