Category: Breaking News

Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya has appointed Senior Superintendent of Police Shani Abeysekara to the special committee reviewing the Presidential Commission report on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, raising the number of members from four to five, according to Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddika Manatunga.

The original four-member committee was appointed on Tuesday, 22 April, to examine the findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry. The committee is led by Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Asanga Karawita.

This follows direct instructions from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who formally handed over the final report and all accompanying volumes of the Commission to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 20 April.

The updated committee now includes:

Senior DIG Asanga Karawita (Chair)
DIG of the CID
Director of the CID
Director of the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID)
SSP Shani Abeysekara

India announced a raft of measures to downgrade its ties with Pakistan on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, a day after suspected militants killed 26 men at a tourist destination in Kashmir in the worst attack on civilians in the country in nearly two decades.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a media briefing that the cross-border linkages of the attack had been “brought out” at a special meeting of the security cabinet, after which it was decided to act against Pakistan.

He said New Delhi would suspend with immediate effect a crucial river water treaty that allows for sharing the waters of the Indus river system between the two countries.

The defense advisers in the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave, Misri said, adding that the overall strength of the Indian high commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 from 55.

The main border crossing checkpost between the two countries will be closed with immediate effect and Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under special visas, Misri said.

At least 17 people were also injured in the shooting that took place on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley in the Pahalgam area of the scenic, Himalayan federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.

It was the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings, and shattered the relative calm in Kashmir, where tourism has boomed as an anti-India insurgency has waned in recent years.

A little-known militant group, the “Kashmir Resistance,” claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It expressed discontent that more than 85,000 “outsiders” had been settled in the region, spurring a “demographic change”.

Indian security agencies say Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, is a front for Pakistan-based militant organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Pakistan denies accusations that it supports militant violence in Kashmir and says it only provides moral, political and diplomatic support to the insurgency there.

Source: Reuters

Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, the Cabinet Spokesperson, addressed the concerns surrounding the President’s earlier announcement that the mastermind behind the attacks would be presented by the 21st.

Journalist raised questions on the matter noting that despite this promise, no updates have been provided, leading to accusations from the opposition that the government is being deceptive.

Dr. Jayatissa emphasized that the government was compelled to investigate the Easter attacks six years after they occurred, due to previous attempts to suppress investigations for nearly five and a half years.

He noted that if proper investigations had been conducted within those six years, the masterminds and conspirators might have already been exposed. However, political interference by the previous Cabinet had hindered the investigation process, with some investigation committee reports not being implemented and officials frequently transferred or forced to leave the country. Only in the past six months have these investigations resumed correctly, revealing previously suppressed and misled incidents.

When asked about the President’s statement and the subsequent report, Dr. Jayatissa explained that the speed of revealing facts is determined by the investigation process, not by the President or the government. The government is facilitating the investigation process, and conducting the investigation is entirely entrusted to the relevant institutions.

Regarding the seven proposals presented by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith concerning the Easter attacks, Dr. Jayatissa stated that the government’s stance on this matter will be announced soon. The proposals have been discussed in depth, and appropriate responses will be provided.

Dr. Jayatissa urged everyone to allow the investigations to proceed without unnecessary agitation. He emphasized that the investigations will reveal certain facts, and any shortcomings in previous statements will be addressed based on the investigation findings.

Regarding the involvement of Pillayan in the Easter attacks, Dr. Jayatissa clarified that one should not consider that the only crime Pillayan committed was the abduction of the Eastern University professor. He said there are several other charges against him, and more information is being disclosed during the 90-day questioning period. Based on these investigations, two individuals have already been taken into custody, and the police will reveal their involvement in certain murder operations as the investigation progresses.

Dr. Jayatissa also addressed concerns about the government’s ability to handle the situation, stating that despite continuous claims by some politicians and media channels that the government cannot revive the economy or ensure national security, the people trusted them and formed a government. He assured that the government is acting according to that mandate and is not concerned about the agitation of those involved in the conspiracy.

Sri Lanka needs Indian consensus to disclose the contents of the Defence Cooperation pact signed during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said.

Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India on Defence Cooperation, but President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government has yet to disclose the content of the pact.

The Defence pact was signed amid continuous Indian pressure to stop Chinese research vessels coming to Sri Lanka citing they are a threat to the security of the Indian Ocean region.

“On certain contents, we need mutual agreement to disclose the information,” Cabinet Spokesman Jayatissa, also the Minister of Media and Health, told reporters at the post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, responding to a query on whether the defence pact had banned Chinese research vessels coming to Sri Lankan waters.

“In future, we will be submitting them to the parliament. It will take some time. Definitely in the future.”

“These are only Memorandum of Understanding. We will disclose about them to the parliament in the future. If it is difficult to wait, some of the information could be requested through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.”

When requested information by EconomyNext from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the designated RTI officer said the information about the Defence Cooperation “does not fall under the purview” of the Ministry.

Minister Jayatissa said the government has signed the MoUs with responsibility.

“They are not decisions taken by politicians collectively. Respective ministries, AG Departments, all the related institutions are consulted and discussed in length for months and some were amended some new clauses were added. Based on consensus after all these we have arrived at these MoUs,” he said.

“Next steps are going to be taken based on these MoUs. For some we need to establish mechanisms to implement the MoUs.”

The Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association (SLCFA) in a statement said it is deeply concerned about the heavy tariffs recently introduced by the US on Chinese goods.

One of the most worrying actions is the US decision to charge a fee of $ 50 per net ton on ships built in China, starting from mid-October. These steps, which are said to support the US shipbuilding industry, will create serious problems for global trade and the world economy.

“These actions do not only affect China—they impact the entire world. They will increase the cost of shipping, disturb the flow of goods between countries, and make inflation worse. This will hurt both consumers and businesses in the US and many other nations,” the SLCFA said.

“Sri Lanka is still recovering after a difficult financial crisis. We are slowly rebuilding our economy with great care. But when large countries take sudden economic decisions like this, they create uncertainty and difficulty for smaller and developing nations like ours. These pressures can make our recovery even harder,” it said.

“We agree with the recent remarks made by People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping during his visit to Malaysia. He said that Asian countries should stand together against geopolitical conflicts, unfair trade practices, and protectionism. We believe his message is important for this moment in time. The region must work together to stay peaceful, strong, and independent. China’s efforts to support global cooperation – through projects like the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, and Global Security Initiative – are a sign of true leadership. These ideas bring hope at a time when many international relationships are under stress,” the SLCFA added.

It stressed that it is important for all countries to work together, talk openly, and support fair trade. Big nations must not use their power to harm others. Instead, they should help build a global economy that is stable and fair for everyone – especially for smaller countries like Sri Lanka.

“We stand with China and with all nations that support peace, fairness, and cooperation. Let us work together to protect the future of our global economy and the well-being of people everywhere,” the statement added.

(Daily FT)