KATHMANDU: Senior leftist politician and former minister Pradeep Nepal passed away at the age of 71 on Tuesday afternoon at Norvic Hospital, Kathmandu. Hospital sources confirmed that he died at around 4:15 PM.

Nepal had long been battling Parkinson’s disease, which gradually rendered him physically weak and led to his withdrawal from active politics.

He had been admitted to the hospital a few days earlier and was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Monday after his condition worsened.

He served as Minister for Communications in 2051 B.S. during the premiership of Man Mohan Adhikari, Nepal’s first elected communist prime minister.

He later held the position of Minister for Education. Known for his intellectual depth and ideological clarity, Nepal was respected across political lines for his contributions to democratic politics and public service in Nepal.