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Nepal becoming a hub for international smuggling, corruption: Shekhar Koirala



JANAKPURDHAM: Dr. Shekhar Koirala, a prominent figure within the Nepali Congress (NC), has sounded the alarm over Nepal’s increasingly worrisome status as a focal point for international smugglers and rampant corruption.

During a press conference held in Janakpurdham on Thursday, Leader Koirala emphasized that recent incidents including gold smuggling, the Lalita Niwas case, and the emergence of counterfeit Bhutanese refugees serve as irrefutable evidence of Nepal’s evolving reputation as a haven for global smugglers and a breeding ground for corruption.

In his words, “It is with growing concern that I acknowledge Nepal’s heightened vulnerability to international smuggling, as evidenced by the escalating frequency of criminal activities within our borders involving foreign nationals.”

The unfolding events are precipitating a severe decline in Nepal’s standing on the global stage.

The surge in gold smuggling, the complexity of the Lalita Niwas case, the infiltration of fabricated Bhutanese refugees, and other related incidents collectively underscore the distressing reality that Nepal is gravitating towards becoming a nucleus for international smuggling and entrenched corruption.

Koirala further articulated the pressing need for the Nepali Congress to seize the political initiative in curbing the surge of criminality and corruption.

He asserted, “The time has come for the Nepali Congress to exhibit resolute political leadership in the battle against these criminal activities and the pervasive corruption accompanying them.”

He firmly advocated that the mantle of political leadership in this critical endeavor falls squarely upon the shoulders of the Nepali Congress and none other.

Publish Date : 24 August 2023 20:21 PM

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