Kathmandu [Nepal]: Nepali lawmakers have strongly urged the government to reconsider its diplomatic stance towards states that support terrorism, in light of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, India, which also claimed the life of a Nepali citizen.
Speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Sarbendra Nath Shukla, a lawmaker from the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, called for a strategic shift in Nepal’s foreign policy to avoid association with nations that allegedly back terrorism.
“The world is divided into two factions—those who support terrorism and those who fight it. Nepal must align with the latter and create policies that reflect our stance against terror,” Shukla said, indirectly suggesting a diplomatic downgrade with Pakistan.
He warned that failure to distance Nepal from terror-sponsoring nations could result in the country becoming a “playground for terrorism.”
Adding weight to the concern, former Foreign Minister and Nepali Congress lawmaker NP Saud criticized the government for hosting a high-level Pakistan Army delegation amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, including Nepali national Sudeep Neupane, were killed.
“While our neighbour India mourns a heinous terror attack that killed civilians, including a Nepali, our government received a Pakistani military delegation. This shows diplomatic insensitivity,” Saud stated.
He acknowledged the visit may have been pre-planned, but emphasized that the Nepal government should have exercised diplomatic discretion by postponing the visit.
In response to the Pahalgam tragedy, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, conducting precision strikes on nine terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation was described by the Indian Ministry of Defence as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory.”
“No Pakistani military facilities were targeted. The operation demonstrates India’s restraint while holding perpetrators accountable,” said the MoD.
Nepal’s involvement—albeit indirectly—through the death of one of its citizens in the attack has raised new debates within Kathmandu over national security policy, regional alignment, and the diplomatic consequences of engagement with controversial states