Supreme Court issues directive order to ensure effective implementation of Free Visa Free Ticket Policy

Kathmandu, 1 January (2019) - The Supreme Court of Nepal on Monday has issued a directive order in the name of Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) and other ministries concerned regarding the effective implementation of Free Visa Free Ticket policy announced by the Government of Nepal in June 2015.

On 25 August 2018, Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice (LAPSOJ) and Asian Human Rights and Culture Development Forum jointly registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding an order to enact and implement effective law to ensure effective implementation of the Free Visa Free Ticket policy of the government.

The petition further demanded to incorporate the punitive, preventive and compensation related provisions and procedures followed with strict monitoring mechanism in the prospective law.

A single bench of Justice Purushottam Bhandari on August 30, 2017 (Bhadra 14, 2074) had issued a show cause order in the name of the respondents asking them to submit a written response regarding the same.

After the final hearing on Monday, the division bench of Justice Purushottam Bhandari and Justice Kedar Prasad Chalise issued a directive order in the name of the Government of Nepal to take necessary steps in order to implement the ‘Free Visa Free Ticket’ policy announced by the government in 2015, and to enact necessary laws.

A team of lawyers including former Attorney General Hari Phuyal, Advocate Ramesh Badal, Barun Ghimire and Advocate Anurag Devkota argued before the Supreme Court in the final hearing.