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Nepal seeks Qatar’s help to release Bipin Joshi

Foreign Minister Deuba requested Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, to advocate for Joshi’s release during a telephone conversation.

Kathmandu: Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, has called on Qatar to help secure the release of Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who remains in captivity under Hamas in Palestine.

During a phone call on Tuesday morning, Minister Deuba requested Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, to advocate for Joshi’s release. Al-Khulaifi, a key mediator in the ongoing peace talks with Hamas, holds a central role in facilitating negotiations.

According to Minister Deuba’s office, the conversation took place ahead of a crucial meeting in Doha on Tuesday night, where negotiators from both sides of the Gaza conflict were set to discuss a ceasefire agreement.

During the conversation, Dr Deuba expressed gratitude for Qatar’s mediation efforts,

Al-Khulaifi assured Minister Deuba of Qatar’s continued efforts, expressing optimism about Joshi’s release. “We have prioritized the appeal for Bipin’s release,” he said, adding that some captives are expected to be freed in the initial phase of negotiations. “If not included in this phase, Joshi could be released in subsequent rounds.”

Bipin Joshi was abducted in October 2023 during a Hamas attack on Israeli territory that claimed over 1,000 lives, including 10 Nepali nationals.