Nepal cannot locate original Sugauli Treaty

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told the House of Representatives that the government cannot confirm whether it possesses the original 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, which defined Nepal's boundary with British India. A parliamentary inquiry concluded that the original copies of both the Sugauli Treaty and the 1950 India–Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship could not be found in Nepal. The disclosure comes amid renewed tensions over the Nepal-India border after India and China agreed to reopen the Lipulekh trade route. Nepal claims Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura as its territory, while India rejects these claims. The dispute centers on the interpretation of the Kali River's origin. Nepal plans to review its 655 treaties and agreements, including the 1950 treaty, with national interests at the center.