Nepal's new map hits a roadblock as parliament discussion gets deferred

Nepal claims the territory, which touches the border with China, under an 1816 treaty with the East India Company

Nepal has for now iced a new map that was cleared by its parliament and places within its own borders a stretch of land high in the mountains that India claims as its own. A discussion in its parliament on Wednesday clear a constitutional amendment that would formalise the new map has been deferred, according to news agencies.

The map was cleared last week, provoking a fierce reaction from India, which described the move as “unilateral” and not based on historical facts. “Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India,” Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said last week.

Nepal claims the territory, which touches the border with China, under an 1816 treaty with the East India Company.