Nepal, Aug. 21 -- Lawmakers on Thursday raised concerns over reports that Chief Commissioner of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Prem Kumar Rai was summoned by the Prime Minister's Office and allegedly pressured to expedite an investigation into the e-passport procurement case.

The issue surfaced during a meeting of the Federal Parliament's State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, where members questioned whether the anti-graft body could function independently if its leadership was subjected to political influence.

Rabi Lamichhane, president of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and a member of the House of Representatives, described reports of pressure on the head of a constitutional body as a ...