Tag: Mahinda Rajapaksa

  • Protesters put former Sri Lankan PM’s ancestral house on fire

    Protesters put former Sri Lankan PM’s ancestral house on fire

    The ancestral home of Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa in the southern district of Hambantota, was set on fire after his resignation on Monday.

    Video footage showed the entire house burning. Later, the police were forced to use tear gas to disperse protesters. Not only this, the protestors also attacked the homes of at least 31 politicians.

    The country is facing months of street protests because of inflation and mismanagement of government finances which has left the nation with as little as $50 million of useable foreign reserves.

    On Monday, Rajapaksa resigned amid mass protests because of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

    Sri Lanka gave emergency powers to its military and police to detain people without warrants. A recent clash in the country resulted in the killing of eight people and injured more than 200. Ruling party parliamentarian Amarakeerthi Athukorala died after a standoff with anti-government protesters in the town of Nittambuwa near Colombo.

  • ‘Confident that PM Khan will keep his commitment to bring justice’: Sri Lankan PM

    ‘Confident that PM Khan will keep his commitment to bring justice’: Sri Lankan PM

    Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed shock at the brutal Sialkot lynching of a Sri Lankan national but expressed confidence in PM Imran Khan’s commitment to punishing all those involved.

    PM Mahinda Rajapaksa took to Twitter and wrote, “Shocking to see the brutal and fatal attack on Priyantha Diyawadana by extremist mobs in #Pakistan. My heart goes out to his wife and family.”

    He said that Sri Lanka and her people are confident that PM Imran Khan will keep to his commitment to bring all those involved to justice.

    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he is in contact with his Sri Lankan counterpart and has assured him of justice to the victim’s family.

    “Sri Lanka has appreciated Pakistan’s response towards the incident,” Qureshi said, adding that the family has also been approached and “we will satisfy them completely”.

    Priyantha Kumara, working as a manager at a private factory in Sialkot, was tortured to death on Friday by a mob after being accused of blasphemy.