Ahead of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's scheduled visit to Kathmandu on May 11–12, 2026, Nepal has formally raised territorial concerns with both India and China over the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra route passing through the Lipulekh Pass. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani are integral parts of its sovereign territory under the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli. India, however, maintained that the Lipulekh Pass has served as a Kailash Yatra route since 1954 and rejected Nepal's claims as "untenable." The dispute, rooted in competing interpretations of a 210-year-old colonial treaty, has resurfaced as India and China resume the yatra through the contested pass for the June–August 2026 pilgrimage season. With 1,000 Indian pilgrims set to travel through Lipulekh and Nathu La, Kathmandu's formal diplomatic protest has added fresh tension ahead of a high-stakes bilateral visit aimed at resetting India-Nepal ties under Prime Minister Balendra Shah's new government.
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