Sushil Pyakurel ( picture by Prem Singh).

New Delhi, May 3: A leading member of Nepal?s human rights commission today said he hoped the Manmohan Singh government would not resume arms supplies to Kathmandu as it would only serve to ?legitimise? King Gyanendra?s authority, reports our special correspondent.

?India should know that the problem in Nepal cannot be solved with the help of the gun, so it must not be misled by those who believe that defence supplies can in any way improve the situation. The guns now are being turned on political activists and the pro-democracy forces,? said Sushil Pyakurel .

The plea came on a day India?s ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee briefed foreign minister K. Natwar Singh on developments in the kingdom. The consultations are aimed at helping Delhi decide on, among other things, resumption of military aid.

Pyakurel, who could travel out of Nepal because eight US Congressmen wrote to the royal government to allow him to visit Washington last month, said Gyanendra lifted the emergency mainly to confuse international opinion. If leaders are not allowed to take part in any political activity, it is as good as keeping them under house arrest, he said.