Claiming that enforcing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is not the policy of the government, Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said today that the PTA needs to be used carefully until a new Act is enacted.
He told Parliament that the government business has to continue until new Acts are enacted.
The Minister said this while respondig to a question by SJB MP Rauff Hakeem that the government is enforcing the PTA where ITAC MP S. Sridharan, who was leaving to Tamil nadu, was disturbed by the Emmigration officials at the VIP lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) saying that there was a travel ban on him.
MP Hakeem said there should be a court order to impose a travel ban and that there was no such court order and added that after explaining them, MP Shridaran was allowed to proceed.
Minister Ratnayake said the Controller General of Immigration and Emmigration has been instructed to look into the matter and submit a report and the Deputy Minister of Defence has also been informed to look into the matter.
He said it is not clear whether this is a misuse of the PTA and added that it has not been not done based on government policy or guidance.