Hearing Continues on NGO Code Case

Kathmandu, Dec 2-Lawyers today accused the government of promulgating the NGO code of conduct to impose restrictions on the NGOs against the spirit of the 1990 Constitution.

Former president of NBA Harihar Dahal also accused the government of curbing the rights of the people.According to him, the government has no authority to issue such a code of conduct to the NGOs as they have been working by obtaining license from the government.

President of Nepal Bar Association (NBA) Shambhu Thapa accused the government of imposing its policies on the NGOs, which had been working on their own policies and programmes here.He also said if the Supreme Court does not issue a stay order against the code, the foreign grants might be stopped.Thapa added that the NGOs are autonomous bodies and so the government cannot impose any restrictions but only regulate them.

Advocate Agni Kharel accuse the government of blatantly attacking on the rights of the people after the NGOs voiced for the rights of the people. This proves that the government attack on NGOs is of ill intention.

Full bench comprising justices Sharada Shrestha, Hari Jung Sijapati and Top Bahadur Magar, which is examining the constitutionality of the NGO code.

The petitioners' lawyers today completed their arguments and the government attorneys are scheduled to plead on Wednesday.