The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee has decided to conduct the hearing of ambassador nominees for India and China on Friday.

The committee had called for complaints against the nomination of Deep Kumar Upadhyay for New Delhi and Leela Mani Paudyal for Beijing. The government on September 1 recommended Upadhyay and Paudyal as Nepal’s ambassadors to India and China, respectively. Upadhyay, who was appointed the ambassador to India by the Sushil Koirala-led government, was recalled by the erstwhile KP Sharma Oli-led government.

Yogendra Chaudhary, a member of the Hearing Committee, said sessions with both the nominees could be held on the same day. Despite serious reservations from the main opposition CPN-UML over the reappointment of Upadhyay, the committee is sure to endorse the nomination of both the candidates as the ruling alliance holds a majority in the 15-member committee. The Oli government had recommended UML leader Mahendra Bahadur Pandey to head Nepal’s mission in Beijing. Immediately after taking charge, Prime Minister Dahal withdrew the political nominations, including Pandey’s, when the parliamentary hearing of career diplomats was ongoing.