Nepal cannot confirm original Sugauli Treaty papers amid Lipulekh border row

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Aug 10, 2026 22:26 IST

Nepal does not have clear information on the whereabouts of the original 1816 Sugauli Treaty that set the Himalayan nation’s boundary with British India, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told the House of Representatives on Monday. He also said it remains unclear whether Nepal has an official copy of the treaty signed with Britain.

Khanal’s remarks come as the Nepal-India border dispute has sharpened after India and China agreed to reopen the Lipulekh trade route. Nepal claims Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani as its territory, while India says these areas belong to it.

Replying to a query in the House, Khanal said, according to The Kathmandu Post, that Nepal has no definite record on the status of the treaty papers. “The Government of Nepal does not have clear information on whether we possess the official treaty documents. There are records showing that some documents related to certain treaties are kept at the Archives. But we do not have clear information as to whether those are the actual official treaties,” he said.

He, however, said Nepal does have documents related to the 1816 treaty and the 1950 treaties. The Treaty of Sugauli was signed between Nepal and the East India Company and largely defined Nepal’s territorial boundaries and its relationship with British India.

The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed between Nepal and India, laid down provisions giving Nepalis and Indians reciprocal rights in several areas in each other’s countries. Under the treaty, India and Nepal share an open border of over 1,751 km, allowing citizens of both countries to travel and work across the border without visas.

In 2016, when the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India Relations started discussions on reviewing or replacing the 1950 treaty, the Nepali side tried to locate the original document but could not find it, the newspaper reported. The government later gave the Bhekh Bahadur Thapa-led committee a second copy of the 1950 treaty.

A parliamentary inquiry into the missing documents found that the original copies of both the Sugauli Treaty and the Nepal-India treaty could not be located in Nepal. The committee said it had carried out a thorough search at all possible places where historical papers might be kept, including libraries, archives and repositories, as well as the Department of Archaeology, Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2019, then foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali said his ministry had copies of both treaties but was unsure if they were the originals. “We have both treaties, but we have to forensically verify whether these copies are originals or not,” Gyawali said. “We are also trying to find historical documents and maps in India and the United Kingdom.” On Monday, Khanal also said Nepal would review its treaties and agreements with its national interests at the centre.

In sum, Nepal’s government says it has related records and copies of key treaties, but it still cannot confirm whether the original Sugauli Treaty or the original Nepal-India treaty are in its possession, even as treaty review and border issues remain in focus.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends