Kathmandu: During a meeting of the House Business Advisory Committee, the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) pledged to facilitate Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s participation in the parliamentary question-and-answer session.

The assurance came after opposition parties strongly insisted that the Prime Minister must attend the question hour in accordance with provisions outlined in the House Rules. RSP Chief Whip Kabindra Burlakoti said efforts would be made to ensure the Prime Minister appears in Parliament soon.

Under parliamentary rules, the Prime Minister is required to hold a direct question-and-answer session with lawmakers during the first week of a parliamentary session.

Opposition parties have been obstructing House proceedings over the issue, warning that Tuesday’s session would also face disruption if the Prime Minister failed to attend.

Chief Whip Yubaraj Dulal of the Nepali Communist Party said the opposition remains firm on enforcing the mandatory provision for the Prime Minister’s question hour and has demanded a fixed date for his appearance in Parliament.

“We have clearly stated that the Prime Minister must participate as required by the rules. Otherwise, the session should be postponed to create an environment for his participation,” Dulal said.

He added that opposition parties also want the upcoming national budget presentation on Jestha 15 to proceed peacefully without disruption.

According to Dulal, although the RSP chief whip committed to bringing the Prime Minister to Parliament, no specific date has been confirmed.