British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has “ordered his government’s appropriate authorities to review all issues related to Gurkhas and their families”, according to Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO).

GAESO officials told a news conference in Kathmandu on Monday that Brown gave the order today, responding to the request made by Tul Bahadur Pun VC, for a “full review of facilities including equal pension for Gurkhas at par with their British colleagues”.

They said GAESO representatives would hand over a memorandum today to British officials, mentioning a complete full list of discriminatory provisions, which should be changed.

Retired Gurkhas have long been demanding pension equal to their British counterparts. The British Defence Ministry had in March announced to provide with equal pensions to Gurkhas taking retirement after July 1997, but the GAESO has been demanding that all retired Gurkhas be entitled to the revised pension scale.

The new British Prime Minister had met the 84-year-old Tul Bahadur Pun at Downing Street, London, where he welcomed the Victoria Cross veteran.

During his meeting with Brown, Pun urged British government to revise its decision regarding the rights conferred to Gurkhas, to which Brown had pledged a review.

Pun was awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross for single handedly storming a Japanese military position equipped with machine gun in Burma in 1945.

“You have been a very brave and courageous man and we would like to help you in whatever way possible,” British newspaper Mirror quoted Brown as saying. “Your bravery is something which we would all wish to celebrate, thank you very much,” Brown further said and assured his support to Pun’s cataract operation.

“To be here and greet the prime minister of Britain makes me absolutely pleased and is something I have never imagined before,” Pun told media persons there. “The Prime Minister said some very nice things and said he would consider my requests for my Gurkha comrades.”

The British Army currently has around 3,400 Gurkhas serving in countries including Iraq and Afghanistan, with 250 new recruits annually.

“I am very confident that he is going to do that because he is an honourable man. For that I thank him very much. I am very, very happy he is going to give our cause high priority now,” news reports quoted him saying.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry joined the Gurkha battalion on Sunday, Telegraph daily reported. The paper terms the battalion as one of the most fearsome units in the British Army.

Harry, an officer with posh cavalry regiment the Blues and Royals, is doing a spell with the legendary fighters to learn their killer expertise. He was driven to the Brecon Beacons in Wales with men of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles for a four-day exercise.

He will take part in every aspect of the operation. “To all intents and purposes he will be a Gurkha,” the paper said.

At the end of the exercise Harry, a 22-year-old 2nd lieutenant whose own unit has gone to Iraq without him because of fears for his safety, will be presented with a honourary Khukuri.