Kathmandu, 21 August (H.S.): Nepal's Supreme Court has cancelled the appointment of Maheshwar Bhakta Shrestha as executive chairman of the government-controlled Nepal Airlines Corporation. A division bench comprising Justices Sunil Pokharel and Balkrishna Dhakal, while hearing a petition on Friday, ruled against Shrestha's appointment.

Upendra Bahadur Karki, a member of the corporation's board of directors, had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on July 16, naming the Prime Minister's Office and Council of Ministers Secretariat, among five respondents. Karki had sought the cancellation of Shrestha's appointment and also requested a mandamus directing the authorities to appoint him as executive chairman.

Supreme Court spokesperson and joint registrar Arjun Prasad Koirala said the court had issued the writ only in part. He said, “Issuing a partial writ means that the appointment of the incumbent executive chairman has been cancelled. The petitioner had also sought a mandamus for his own appointment. However, his request for a mandamus has been rejected.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar