KATHMANDU: Government spokesperson and Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel has defended Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s recent remarks in Parliament regarding the border issue with India.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Pokharel explained that the Prime Minister was simply expressing surprise over claims from Delhi that Nepal had encroached upon Indian territory.

Pokharel noted that both countries have exchanged diplomatic notes and that existing committees are working to resolve the boundary discrepancies.

He emphasized that land currently utilized by either nation could shift once the final borders are settled.

Affirming the Prime Minister’s accountability to Parliament, Pokharel stressed that the dispute must be resolved diplomatically through table talks led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.