Author: TELO Admin

As part of the ongoing defence dialogue, Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) held a side-line meeting on Tuesday, April 29, with General Asim Munir, Chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan.

The Defence Secretary was accompanied by Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army Major General Chandana Wickramasinghe.

In a separate meeting, the Defence Secretary also held discussions with the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs in Pakistan, Ahad Khan Cheema.

These meetings underscored Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening bilateral defence and economic relations with its neighbouring countries. They also reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s dedication to promoting regional peace, security, and seamless trade cooperation.

As a gesture of goodwill, both parties exchanged mementoes at the conclusion of the meetings.

Against the backdrop of escalation of tension with India following the Pahalgam incident and warning that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be suspended, Pakistan expects Sri Lanka to play a neutral, non-aligned role which is the trademark of its foreign policy, a top diplomatic source on the situation said yesterday on condition of anonymity.

It transpired during a background discussion on the current situation.

The Pakistani authorities have apparently taken note of the wordings of the statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD) condemning the terror attack after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Pakistani authorities are concerned why the Sri Lankan President did not display neutrality in this case by condemning the incident in which Baloch separatists hijacked the Jaffar Express passenger train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar near the city of Sibi in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province on March 11, 2025.

Asserting that Pakistan does not condone terrorism in any form, the source said Pakistan is ready for an international investigation into what happened in Pahalgam.

The source said that Pakistan would respond militarily in case of suspension of the Indus waters for its agriculture. According to the source, a full-blown war between India and Pakistan as nuclear–armed nations would entail disaster for the whole region.

The source cited Sri Lanka as a time-tested, brotherly friend of Pakistan. In Pakistan, there are mixed sentiments about the probability of war with some interpreting it as very high while others ruling it out.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Ministry has already announced that it will remain neutral.

The next review of Sri Lanka’s bailout program is likely to go the executive board of International Monetary Fund for consideration in June, Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou said.

Sri Lanka struck a staff level agreement for the next phase of the program on April 25.

“I think there’s good momentum from the authorities and everybody else’s point of view in completing the review,” Papageorgiou said in an online briefing.

“It’s a long process, as you probably know, in terms of us consulting and redrawing our numbers and our assumptions and having great confidence in the direction of policy reforms and of the outlook and everything else.

“I would say that it will take a little while, maybe a couple more months at least, in terms of finalizing the review.”

Sri Lanka has to hike electricity prices, to end losses in the utility from a tariff cut ordered by the regulator.

The Ceylon Electricity Board is yet to propose the new tariff revision. There was also an automatic price rise to be triggered under the bulk supply tariff account when cash reserves fell below a certain level.

“The BSTA, has not operated as we envisaged, and the April tariff revision that was meant to take place in, you know, for the second quarter of this year was not implemented,” Papageorgiou explained.

“Of course, we defer to the authorities and to the regulator, the PUCSL, on the exact timing for implementing these actions, these prior actions, but we urge them to do so as soon as possible, so that the utility company CEB is not incurring financial losses on a forward-looking basis.”

The IMF was also in constant touch with Sri Lanka on the possible impact of US tariffs on Sri Lanka’s exports. A team from Sri Lanka has already met US trade officials on ways to address concerns over a trade surplus with the US.

“Sri Lankan authorities, Sri Lankan government, has made great progress in establishing greater connection with bilateral trade partners, including the United States,” Papageorgiou

“We encourage more action and greater discussion in ensuring that there is a good outcome from these discussions and that the trade policy uncertainty gets resolved and there is greater sensitivity.”

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha met Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Islamabad on the sideline of the bilateral defence dialogue of the two South Asian nations, the government said.

The meeting was held on Tuesday (29), the second day of the bilateral defence dialogue.

“These high-level engagements aim to enhance bilateral cooperation, foster mutual understanding on regional security dynamics and explore opportunities for defence collaboration,” Sri Lanka’s Department of Information said in a statement.

“Both nations share a longstanding relationship rooted in mutual respect and strategic cooperation. The dialogue reflects the growing importance of partnerships in maintaining stability and promoting peace in the South Asian region.”

The meeting comes as Pakistan’s defence minister on Monday said a military incursion by neighbouring India was imminent in the aftermath of a deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir last week, as tensions rise between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Sri Lanka has taken a neutral stance in the Indo-Pakistan tension.

The three-day dialogue, which concludes on Wednesday (Apr 30), is expected to reinforce bilateral defence ties and contribute to broader regional security objectives, the Sri Lanka government said.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party, speaking to supportersdisclosed details about the international response following the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka.

Speaking on the matter, Wickremesinghe revealed that then-President of the United States Of America Donald Trump was among the first to reach out, offering assistance from the FBI.

American officials were dispatched to aid in the investigation, followed by experts from the UK, Australia, China, and other nations.

Wickremesinghe recounted conversations with these international representatives, who ultimately concluded that the attacks were orchestrated by ISIS-affiliated groups, including Saharan and his associates. He said that he was told that no external entities were involved, confirming the attacks were planned and executed internally.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has informed the National Election Commissioner via a letter that her name and image have been used without her permission for election propaganda activities.

The letter states that certain candidates of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), contesting under the symbol of the ‘chair’ for the Attanagalla Pradeshiya Sabha at the 2025 Local Government (LG) election, have been distributing leaflets containing her image, along with those of former Ministers Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Sarana Gunawardena, and that they have also put up posters.

The former President further notified the Election Commission that she has not granted permission to use her image for the distribution of such leaflets or for the printing of election posters.

Kumaratunga emphasized that she had previously informed the candidates contesting under the chair symbol in Attanagalla and other areas not to use her image for any audio-visual promotional activities. Despite this, the former President alleges that certain candidates have unlawfully used her photograph in their campaigns.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga also stated that using her photograph in a manner suggesting her support constitutes a violation of election laws. Therefore, she has urged the Election Commission to immediately inform the relevant party leaders to halt this activity and to take the necessary actions promptly.