KATHMANDU: Government has issued an order recalling 11 Nepali ambassadors from their overseas postings despite a Supreme Court interim order issued yesterday instructing otherwise.

The directive, coming directly from Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sushila Karki, instructs the Ambassadors stationed in China, Germany, Israel, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States to return to Nepal by 6 November.

The Prime Minister has further directed that the ambassadors “remain present at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until further notice” and to proceed with travel if their flights have already been booked. Observers say the contradictory instructions—issued despite the court order—have created confusion within Nepal’s diplomatic corps and raised concerns about adherence to judicial authority.

Following the initial hearing of the case, a bench of Supreme Court justices Sharanga Subedi and Shrikant Paudel issued a short-term interim order directing the government not to implement the recall of Nepali ambassadors.

The previous KP Sharma Oli-led government had appointed ambassadors to 17 countries, of which six were retained in their posts. Generally, the deployment and recall of ambassadors serving as government representatives abroad are considered a special executive prerogative, and the government can recall them at any time.

However, the interim government, formed with a mandate to conduct elections, was accused of recalling ambassadors selectively and without following due legal procedures. The Supreme Court, emphasizing adherence to law and process, directed that the recalls not be enforced.

Since parliamentary procedures could not be conducted immediately, the Court’s order effectively blocked the immediate appointment of new ambassadors, leaving those already farewelled abroad and holding tickets in a state of uncertainty.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri, has confirmed to Nepal News that Minsity already sent letters to all 11 ambassadors affected by the recall.

They have been instructed to report for duty under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until further notice.

Diplomatic experts warn that such actions risk undermining the credibility and stability of Nepal’s diplomacy, which is already navigating sensitive international relations and complex postings worldwide.

The situation has sparked debate among legal, diplomatic and political circles about the balance between executive authority and judicial oversight in foreign policy decisions.