National Shoora Council tells President ruling party has no mandate to enact new anti-terror law

■ Insists Govt. must persist with repealing present terror act ■ Alleges terror laws were used only against minorities ■ Claims new anti-terror law will propagate negative image, discourage tourism, investments, and economic recovery

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THE National Shoora Council (NSC) has urged President Anura Kumara Disanayake to honour the election pledge and repeal the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) without replacing it with a new anti-terrorism law, as no such mandate was sought from the people in the ruling party's manifesto.

The NSC has also pointed out in its letter to President Disanayake that over a dozen new laws had been enacted during the last 25 years, with wider powers being vested in the Executive and the Police. The Muslim civil society has also said that 16 years have elapsed since terrorism was wiped out, and that today, there is no sign of any terrorism in the country.

Following are excerpts from the NSC's letter to President Disanayake.

The NSC is a consultative body of premier Muslim organisations in Sri Lanka with a national reach and includes citizens of repute. The NSC was established in 2013 following a series of Islamophobic attacks on the Muslim community from 2012 onwards and which led to several devastating anti-Muslim riots in the country.