Goa, Aug. 13 -- Nepal's government has acknowledged that it cannot confirm whether it possesses the original signed copy of the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, a development that has renewed attention on one of the most important documents in the history of Nepal's territorial boundaries.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Nepal's House of Representatives that government records show that documents relating to historical treaties are held in the National Archives, but officials have been unable to establish whether the original, officially signed treaty is among them. The government has also searched other state offices without locating a definitive original. Recent Nepali reporting indicates that lawmakers have repeatedly raised questions about t...