Govt hard pressed against time to repeal PTA

By Kelum Bandara   

The government is hard pressed against time to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and gazette the new anti- terrorism bill next month in keeping with its pledge made to the Office of High Commissioner for Humam Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva.   
The OHCHR, in its latest report on Sri Lanka, said the National People’s Power’s (NPP) campaign manifesto explicitly pledged to abolish ‘all oppressive acts,’ including the Prevention of Terrorism Act. In February, 2025, the government appointed a committee to review repeal of the PTA and provide recommendations for new counter-terrorism laws. In May 2025, the Ministry of Justice and National Integration issued a very short two-week period of public notice for legislation of such importance, inviting comments and submissions from the public for the draft a new Anti-Terrorism Bill. The government informed that it expected to gazette new legislation by September, the report says.  
Meanwhile, the committee, which was appointed to make recommendations for the new counter terrorism bill , has almost completed its task.  
The committee is slated to meet today to finalise the definition of terrorism to be incorporated into the new bill. After that, there is a process involved for drafting the bill and securing Cabinet approval for gazetting it.  
The UK- led core group of countries will move a new resolution on Sri Lanka,next month during the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council  
(UNHCR).