A meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for today has been postponed. Parliament Secretary Gopal Nath Yogi said that the meeting was postponed due to the death of Nepali Congress leader Pradeep Giri, a noted socialist thinker. The next meeting will be held at 1 pm on Monday.

There is a parliamentary tradition that the meeting should not be conducted after the demise of a member of the House of Representatives until the final rites are performed.

Leader Giri, who had been suffering from throat cancer for the past five years, passed away at the age of 75 on Saturday. Giri had returned to Nepal a few months ago after treatment for throat cancer at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, India. He was admitted to the Mediciti Hospital a month ago after suffering from Pneumonia. Dr Sandarbha Giri, who had been attending to Giri, said that he breathed his last during the course of treatment at 9: 30 pm. His body will be kept at the party office in Sanepa, Lalitpur from 11: 30 to 2 pm for final tributes. Last rites of Giri will be performed at Pashupati Aryaghat in Kathmandu on Sunday.