The major opposition Nepali Congress has expressed sorrow over the demise of NC State-5 parliamentary party leader Baldev Sharma Pokharel.

Pokharel died at his residence in Rupandehi at the age of 82. He was battling cancer for the past one year.

In a press statement issued by the NC central office chief secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel today, the party President Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed sadness over his demise and said that the late leader Pokharel had played a notable role in democratic movements in the country. "The party has faced irreparable loss with his demise," adds the release.