The government has lifted the order of house arrest against seven political leaders including former prime ministers K. P. Bhattarai and Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the state-owned radio said Thursday.

The Radio Nepal quoted security sources as saying that Nepali Congress leader and former premier Bhattarai, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leader and former premier Chand, RPP chairman Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana, senior CPN (UML) leader Mrs Sahana Pradhan, chairman of pro-left Nepal Majdoor and Kisan Party, Narayan Man Bijukchhe, chairman of Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) Badri Prasad Mandal and chairperson of NSP (Anandi Devi) Mrs Anandi Devi have been freed from detention.

The news report did not provide details. These leaders had been placed under house arrest immediately after the royal move of February 1. Their reactions were not immediately available.

Nearly half a dozen political leaders including president of Nepali Congress, Girija Prasad Koirala, former prime minister and Nepali Congress (Democratic) president, her Bahadur Deuba, and general secretary of CPN (UML), Madhav Kumar Nepal, are still placed under house arrest.

The four-party government led by Deuba was dismissed through the royal proclamation. Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) has said some 130 people including political leaders, workers and rights activists had been detained by the authorities till Wednesday.

The Home Ministry, however, said that a total of 43 people were under government control till Tuesday. nepalnews.com by Feb 10 05