India dismisses reports of setting up check points in Nepal

KATHMANDU: India today dismissed media reports here that it had proposed to establish immigration check points at Pashupatinagar and Lumbini in Nepal and termed it as "misleading representation" of what was discussed during home secretary level talks here last month.

"These are misleading representations of discussions held during the home secretary level talks between India and Nepal held in Kathmandu on June 1," the Indian Embassy here said in a press release.

"The proposal to set up immigration check points on both sides of the border at Pashupatinagar and Lumbini was made in good faith and in the best interests of Nepal in order to facilitate foreign tourist traffic (of third country nationals) through these points," the Embassy said.

Immigration check points are never established by any country in the territory of the other country, but adjacent to each other in their own territories, the statement said.

"There is no question whatsoever, therefore, of India establishing immigration points within Nepalese territory at Pashupatinagar and Lumbini.

"The fact is that both countries had discussed setting up such immigration check points in their respective territories at these two points (Pashupatinagar and Lumbini) along the India-Nepal border," it said.

A section of Nepali media, referring to the minutes of the home secretary-level talks, had claimed that India had proposed to set up immigration check points at Lumbini and Pashupatinagar.

In the meantime, a writ was also filed at the Supreme Court of Nepal on July 9 and the court issued a interim order to the government not to implement the decision and not allow India to set up such immigration check points.