SC orders written response in contempt case against PM Karki

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has directed a written response in the contempt case filed against Prime Minister (PM) Sushila Karki.

The case arises from a writ petition alleging that the government recalled ambassadors from 13 countries in contempt of the Supreme Court’s earlier order.

The petition was heard on Sunday by a bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Abdul Azij Musalman. According to the Supreme Court’s website, the court has instructed the respondents to submit a written response.

Two separate contempt writ petitions were filed on November 18. In one, Advocate Prem Raj Silwal named the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers as respondents. In the other, Advocates Pratibha Upreti, Ananta Raj Luintel, and Bishal Thapa named Prime Minister Karki directly as a respondent.

The government had initially recalled the ambassadors of China, Germany, Israel, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the US, the UK, and Japan on October 16. Earlier, a writ petition had been filed seeking an interim order against the recall.

A bench of Justices Saranga Subedi and Shrikanta Paudel issued an interim order on November 2, directing that the recall not be implemented until a final decision. Despite this, Prime Minister Karki again recalled the ambassadors on November 3.