By Ajith Alahakoon-August 26, 2013, 12:00 pm
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay yesterday raised a series of questions with Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem, including why the government had not done away with the Prevention of Terrorism Act and reasons for creating a new ministry for police affairs.
Minister Hakeem, soon after meeting High Commissioner Pillay, addressing a media conference, said the latter had suggested that the Police Department should have been placed under the Ministry of Justice instead of moving it under the purview of the new Ministry of Law and Order.
The meeting between Minister Hakeem and HC Pillay took place at the Justice Ministry and lasted for nearly half an hour. Journalists were not allowed access to the meeting.
Hakeem said that among other questions Pillay had raised were the post conflict reconciliation process, criminal law and the judicial process. She had flayed the government for not doing away with prosecuting people under the provisions of the PTA.
The minister said he had responded that the government had considered doing away with the PTA but the prevalent security issues did not permit it. The government would pay attention to do so in the future, he said.
Hakeem told journalists that when Pillay pointed out that the police should be brought under his ministry, instead of a new ministry, he had
responded that the allocating of subjects of ministries was under the powers of the executive presidency, according to the Constitution.
She had also questioned the minister on recent incidents at Rathupaswala-Weliweriya. The minister had clarified that the police and military had worked together during many incidents to restore law and order in the country during the recent past.
She had also raised the progress with regard to the Right to Information Act, and he had responded that the Bill had been drafted and it would be put into effect by the Ministry of Mass Media and Information.
