A Nepalese official said on Thursday that its parliament is set to vote at the weekend on a new map of its border with India. This will underline the Himalayan nation’s determination to press its case in a land dispute which has strained ties with its neighbour.
Nepal published the revised map in May showing the sliver of land on its northwest tip as its territory, a move rejected by India, which controls the area and says the land belongs to it. The government has tabled the new map in parliament, seeking to amend the constitution and remove the old version.
Parliamentary official Dashrath Dhamala told Reuters, “A house meeting has been scheduled for Saturday when the amendment is expected to be debated and put to vote.”
Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli had earlier said he has sought talks with India to seek to resolve the dispute over the small stretch of land, which includes the areas of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani. Oli said in parliament, “We have told (them) that we want to resolve this through diplomatic talks … And the solution is that our land should be returned to us.”
New Delhi rejected Nepal’s map when it was published in May, calling it a “unilateral act” that was not based on historical facts or evidence.
