President Ram Chandra Poudel has appointed Lieutenant General Ashok Raj Sigdel as the acting chief of the Nepal Army.

Sigdel has been appointed as the acting chief as the Incumbent Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma will retire after his three-year term comes to an end on September 9. There is a provision that the Chief of Army Staff goes on leave for one month before retirement.

Lieutenant General Sigdel has been designated as the acting chief, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on the basis of seniority, with effect from August 9, according to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Office of the President, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai.