The government has relieved 15 honorary consul generals and honorary consuls representing Nepal in foreign cities of their duties.

The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting on Friday.

“By the decision of the government of Nepal, Nepali honorary consuls general and honorary consuls serving at 15 locations abroad have been relieved of their responsibilities,” said Lok Bahadur Paudel Chettri, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a press conference on Friday.

Those removed had been serving in locations including California, Massachusetts, and Seattle in the United States; Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney in Australia; New Zealand; Klang Valley in Malaysia; Jakarta in Indonesia; and Rehovot City in Israel. Similarly, honorary consuls in Nicosia, Cyprus; NRW, Bremen, and Lower Saxony and Warsaw in Germany; Slovenia; and Malta have also been relieved.

“This decision has been made based on the necessity and appropriateness of their service in those locations, in accordance with Section 2, Rule 7(8) of the Honorary Consuls Regulations, 2039 (Sixth Amendment),” said spokesperson Chettri. These honorary consuls general and honorary consuls have been working on behalf of the Nepal government since different periods, serving Nepali citizens as a liaison between their host governments and the Nepali community.

Meanwhile, the government said efforts are underway to bring back Amrit Jha, who remains in custody in Iran. During a regular press briefing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he is under the control of the Iranian military and that legal proceedings have not yet begun.

Officials had earlier stated that Jha was among crew members detained near Qeshm island, near the Strait of Hormuz, although the exact date and circumstances of the arrest have not been made public.

Jha, 33, from Udayapur, was working as a captain for a Dubai-based shipping company, and had travelled to Iran as part of his job.

According to officials, he was detained while returning to Dubai with an oil shipment after loading fuel at Bandar Abbas port in southern Iran. He had travelled there before the outbreak of hostilities involving Israel, the United States and Iran.

Spokesperson Chettri said the ministry remains in contact with the relevant authorities as well as Jha’s family regarding his release.