7 Nepal leaders freed

Buckling under international pressure, the Nepal government released seven political leaders, including two former prime ministers, who were placed under house arrest immediately after the imposition of national emergency by King Gyanendra.

No explanation was given for the move.

Among those freed are founder leader of Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, leader of CPN-UML Shahana Pradhan, former Prime Minister Lockendra Bahadur Chand, 'Radio Nepal' today said quoting security sources.

Nepal: Help, not sermons

Others included Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shamsher Rana, Chairman of Nepal Labors and Peasants Party Narayanman Bijucksche and Chairman of Nepal Sadhbhawana Party Badri Prasad Mandal and chairperson of NSP Anandi Devi, it said.

Nearly half a dozen political leaders, including President of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba and general secretary of CPN (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal are still under house arrest, Nepal News reported.

Meanwhile, concerned over the actions of King Gyanendra, who sacked the four-party government led by Deuba on February 1, the US said it will "continue to press for the restoration of civil liberties in Nepal."

Nepal, the next Tibet

"The actions

of the King, in summarily dismissing the government and declaring a state of emergency and taking repressive measures such as banning media and jailing political opponents, is something that we view with the greatest concern," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters in Washington yesterday.

Nepal Home Ministry said yesterday that 25 people have been detained and 18 were put under house arrest in order to ensure peace and security in the country.

The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) had however, put the figure of those detained at 120, almost three times the number of 43 detainees announced by the government.

A delegation of human rights activists led by HURON President Sudip Pathak had met Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi Tuesday and asked him to ensure basic values of peace, democracy and human rights during emergency.

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Meanwhile, NGOs planning the first protest rally today since the February 1 clampdown by King Gyanendra, have decided to press ahead with their plans. Reports said tight security was in place near the Parliament house, where protestors planned to hold the rally.

Human Rights and Peace Society founder chairman Krishna Pahadi was detained yesterday after he attended a meeting of some 20 NGOs to fine-tune plans for today's demonstrations, Kantipur Online said quoting a statement by the NGO.

More reports from Nepal