Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah has sparked fresh debate over long-standing border disputes with India by claiming that not only has India occupied Nepali territory, but Nepal has also occupied some Indian land.
Speaking in Nepal’s Parliament on Sunday, Shah called for a comprehensive review of the issue by both countries and urged the United Kingdom to become directly involved in mediation efforts aimed at resolving the decades-old border disagreements.
According to a report by the The Kathmandu Post, Shah made the remarks while responding to questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary session.
“After becoming prime minister, I learned institutionally that not only has India occupied Nepal’s land, but Nepal has also occupied Indian land in several places. Both sides need to sit together and conduct a detailed review of the matter,” Shah told Parliament.
Diplomatic Solution Preferred
Responding to a separate question regarding the disputed regions of Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, Shah emphasized that the issue should be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
He revealed that Nepal has communicated not only with India and China but also with the United Kingdom regarding the dispute.
“We have spoken not only with India and China, but also with the UK government. Our view is that the UK should take an interest in this matter because the origins of the dispute date back to the period when the British left India,” he said.
Nepal Sends Diplomatic Note to India
Shah informed lawmakers that Nepal has already sent a formal diplomatic note to India regarding the border issue.
According to him, India’s response suggested that both countries could form teams consisting of historians, survey experts, and specialists familiar with the disputed territories to seek a negotiated settlement.
Dispute Over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani
The latest remarks come amid renewed tensions over the disputed areas of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani.
Earlier this month, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that the three territories are an integral part of Nepal under the terms of the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli.
Nepal said it had informed both India and China of its concerns and repeatedly urged India to avoid unilateral activities in the disputed region, including road construction, border trade initiatives, and pilgrimage-related infrastructure projects.
Kathmandu also formally notified China that the Lipulekh area falls within Nepalese territory.
India Rejects Nepal’s Claims
India strongly rejected Nepal’s position.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that New Delhi’s position on the matter remains “consistent and clear,” adding that Lipulekh Pass has been a recognized route for the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage since 1954.
The dispute resurfaced further after India announced that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra would resume from June to August 2026. Under the plan, ten groups of 50 pilgrims each will travel through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, while another ten groups will use Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.
China also welcomed the resumption of the pilgrimage and said it would facilitate travel for around 1,000 Indian pilgrims this year.
The border dispute remains one of the most sensitive issues in India-Nepal relations, with both sides continuing to maintain competing claims over strategically important Himalayan territories.
