The Unified CPN (Maoist) and the CPN (UML) have formed a six-member joint task force to investigate the killing of Prachanda Thaiba on March 26 in Butwal and other incidents of attacks and assaults in different parts of the country.

A meeting of the high-level joint political mechanism of the two ruling parties held Saturday afternoon in UML parliamentary party office, Singha Durbar formed the task force in an attempt to ease the relation between the two parties.

The meeting attended by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal with other top leaders of both parties has given 24 hours for the task force to submit its initial report.

The high-level joint mechanism will meet again Sunday to discuss when the task force submits its initial report.

The UML-which has been obstructing the House demanding the arrest of the guilty of Thaiba murder case-has said, it will allow the smooth functioning of the parliament if the initial report is positive.

The taskforce includes Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Post Bahadur Bogati and Dina Nath Sharma from the Maoists and Shankar Pokharel, Rajendra Pandey and Ashok Rai from the UML. nepalnews.com Apr 11 09