Friday, March 11 2005 18:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Former Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and 19 other political detainees were freed by the Government today (March 11, 2005), nearly one-and-a-half months after they were held following seizure of power by King Gyanendra.

Deuba, also the president of Nepali Congress (NC) (Democratic), and former Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka were released from the house arrest, police said.

Security personnel have been withdrawn from Deuba's residence at Budhanilkantha, 10 km north of Kathmandu, they said.

Khadka, the Central Member of NC (Democratic), was the Home Minister in the dissolved Government headed by Deuba.

Eighteen other political activists, including NC (Democratic) spokesman Minendra Rijal and Nepali Congress leader Haribol Bhattarai were also released, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ganesh K C, said.

Others who were released today were mostly student activists, he said.

The release of the 20 political leaders and activists came on the eve of Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandy's scheduled visit to Geneva to attend the United Nations' Human Rights Conference.

Pandey is scheduled to leave Kathmandu tomorrow (March 12, 2005) to represent Nepal at the 61st conference of the UN rights body.

Deuba was put under house arrest along with NC president Girija Prasad Koirala and Nepal Communist Party-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar, soon after the February one Royal takeover, when the King dismissed the Prime Minister, assumed executive powers and declared emergency suspending fundamental rights.