Kathmandu: The main opposition CPN (UML) has demanded a fair investigation into gold smuggling into Nepal through the Tribhuvan International Airport.
Speaking in today's meeting of the National Assembly, UML lawmaker Devendra Dahal demanded the formation of a probe committee comprising representatives of the government and various political parties in this regard.
'A high-level probe committee should be formed. If there is no fair investigation by forming such a committee, such incidences of smuggling will continue,' he said.
In the case of the formation of a parliamentary probe committee, it should also involve representatives of the members of the National Assembly, he viewed. He also demanded a response from the Home Minister and Finance Minister in the parliament relating to the security of the airport and the probity of customs office while calling for bringing the respective minister and the chief of the airport, and customs office employees under the scope of investigations.
Referring to the airport customs chief and the security chief, who stayed on leave when the gold smuggling took place, he suspected something fishy in the case. Mentioning that a huge cache of gold was smuggled into Nepal through the airport on July 19, he said, gold smuggling is a serious issue.
'Nepal has become a transit for gold smuggling,' he said. Shortly after Dahal put forth his views, the UML protested the advancement of the parliament business by the NA Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina.
Following the protest, Timilsina informed that the schedule for NA members to put their view during the zero hours had been removed.
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