Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal on Monday set August 26 as the date for Prime Minister Balendra Shah to appear in the House of Representatives and answer questions from lawmakers.

At the start of Monday’s House meeting, Aryal directed Shah to attend the House and respond to lawmakers’ questions under the provisions of the House of Representatives Rules, 2026. At the end of the meeting, he announced the date for the question-and-answer session with the prime minister.

“I inform the House that the direct question-and-answer session with the prime minister, under Chapter 9 of the House of Representatives Rules, 2026, has been scheduled for the meeting on August 26,” Aryal said.

The session will allow at least one lawmaker from each parliamentary party represented in the House to put a question to the prime minister, Aryal said. Up to 15 additional questions will be selected based on the proportional representation of the parties in the House.

Lawmakers wishing to question the prime minister must submit their questions in writing to the secretary of the House by 1 pm on Friday, Aryal said. He also urged lawmakers to keep their questions brief.

The announcement formalises the question-and-answer session that opposition lawmakers have been seeking from Shah over issues under his responsibility.

At the start of Monday’s meeting, Aryal had directed Shah to attend the House and answer lawmakers’ questions, citing provisions in Rules 56 to 60 governing direct questions to the prime minister.

Aryal said he had taken note of lawmakers’ repeated demands for a question-and-answer session on important matters concerning the prime minister and his areas of responsibility.

The directive came amid continuing opposition demands for Shah to explain remarks he made during a House meeting on May 31, when he said Nepal had also encroached on Indian territory.

Opposition lawmakers have since been pressing the prime minister to clarify the remarks. Aryal’s directive on Monday, however, did not specifically refer to the controversy over Shah’s statement.

Chapter 9 of the House rules governs direct question-and-answer sessions with the prime minister. Rule 56 provides for the first hour of one House meeting during the first week of every month to be allocated for lawmakers to ask the prime minister questions on important matters directly related to him or his areas of responsibility.