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Sri Lanka and Pakistan have agreed to jointly work on negotiating debt relief, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said yesterday, calling on international organisations to support poor countries to tackle economic challenges worsened by the pandemic.

Khan, who arrived in SL last afternoon for a two-day visit, was welcomed by his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Tuesday (23).

The two Prime Ministers held bilateral discussions at Temple Trees and issued a joint statement to the media following their meeting. Khan also invited Rajapaksa to visit Pakistan.

“The two leaders discussed how the developed countries can help the developing world. The developed world should not be insular, they must realise this is a problem that has affected everyone, but specifically it has hit the poor countries more and poor in the poor countries much more. So, we have discussed how we can jointly work on poor countries getting debt relief,” Pakistan Premier Imran Khan told reporters.

He pointed out that even though Pakistan came up with the biggest stimulus package in its history of USD 8 billion, it was minute compared to the US package of nearly USD 3 trillion.

“So, this is the discrepancy. The coronavirus has exposed this huge disparity in the world and that is why I feel global organisations like the UN should step in and look after the countries that have taken a real beating because of COVID-19,” he said.

Pointing out that both Sri Lanka and Pakistan were part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), he encouraged stronger trade between the two countries as it would give Sri Lanka connectivity to Central Asia via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The two countries also inked five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) targeted at improving bilateral economic and social cooperation.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that during bilateral discussions, Prime Minister Khan agreed to work closely to enhance bilateral cooperation in the economic sector and several other areas including trade, investment, science and technology, defence and education.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the two countries also agreed to pursue opportunities within the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The talks also focused on important regional and international issues as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries also agreed to further engagement in the tourism and aviation sectors.

"Sri Lanka is grateful to Pakistan for opening travel corridors to visit ancient Buddhist heritage sites in Pakistan,” Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa added.

With mouniting criticism from both the opposition and civil society alike, one of the members of the three-member Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently to deal with charges of political victimisation by those in the previous regime has resigned.

The first draft resolution against Sri Lanka presented at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva has suggested a prompt investigation against the island nation demanding legal action against perpetrators of human rights violations.

The Core Group on Sri Lanka tabled the draft resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, a UN spokesperson said.

Resolution HRC_46_L.1 titled ‘promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was tabled on Monday, UNHRC spokesman Rolando Gómez said.

The resolution was tabled by the Core Group on Sri Lanka to ensure the prompt, thorough and impartial investigation.

It has recommended prosecution, if warranted, of all allegations of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law including for longstanding emblematic cases.

It also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to enhance its monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including progress on reconciliation and accountability.

The resolutions called on the UN authorities to present a written update to the Human Rights Council at its forty-ninth session, and a comprehensive report including further options for advancing accountability at its fifty-first session, both to be discussed in interactive dialogues.

Mr.Gomez said that this was the first resolution to be tabled at the ongoing 46th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva.

“This is the first of many that we expect to see to be tabled over the coming weeks,” he said.

He said that all resolutions will be considered on the 22nd and 23rd of March, the last two days of the 46th Session.

Gómez also said that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet will table a report on Sri Lanka today (24) at the Council following which the country concerned will respond.

Sri Lanka’s government representatives are to face and defend allegations on human rights violations and past grave abuses at the upcoming 4hth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, beginning Monday (February 22), official sources said.

The government is now hell bent over the management of wild elephants with the escalation of human elephant conflict on remote rural areas countrywide, official sources said.  

The Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday (Feb. 23) granted their consent for the combined resolution to publish the government gazette for the proposed Wild Elephant Management Reserve in Hambantota.

The combined resolution was tabled by the Minister of Irrigation and the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation.

Due to the accelerated development projects undergoing within the district of Hambantota, the habitats and wildlife corridors of wild elephants and other wildlife are being severely affected.

Accordingly, a  land in extent of 23,746.55 hectares belonged to the Department of Forest Conservation and Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka has been identified for the proposed reserve.

The Cabinet of Ministers granted their consent for the combined resolution to publish the government gazette subsequent to obtaining the agreement of the Legal Draftsman.

For the 37th day, farmers in Walsapugala are engaged in a Satyagraha Campaign demanding the Proposed Wild Elephant Management Reserve in Hambantota, be included in the government gazette.

On the 18th of January, multiple agrarian organisations including the Joint Agrarian Movement of the Walawa Left Bank launched a Satyagraha Campaign and three days later, they ventured into a fast unto death campaign, as their demands were not met.

Two days after the fast unto death campaign was launched, two farmers were hospitalized.

The fast unto death campaign was called off on the 23rd of January, only after promised the farmers to solve the issue within a month.

On Monday, the 22nd of February, farmers staging the Satyagraha Campaign called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, together with Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thero.

However, according to the farmers, a solution is yet to be provided to the issue.

Despite disappointments in mega project deals including the rejection of the Light Railway Transit (LRT) project, Japan continues its assistance to Sri Lanka.

The most recent Japanese gesture was the donation of anti-terrorism surveillance and investigation vehicles to the island nation.

Japanese Ambassador Sugiyama Akira presented anti-terrorism surveillance and investigation vehicles to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat Office recently.

These vehicles are the first batch of equipment donated by the Government of Japan to the Sri Lanka Police for the country’s counter-terrorism efforts in the wake of the Easter Sunday terror attacks in 2019.

In addition to the vehicles donated, under this grant aid worth JPY 1 billion (LKR 1.7 billion), a wide range of essential equipment for enhancing counterterrorism and public security capabilities is to be donated to law enforcement institutions.

Among them were the Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka (AASL), including mobile X-ray scanners, walk through safety inspection gates, vehicle chassis safety inspection systems, and patrol crafts.

The six-member Committee appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to study the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into Easter Sunday attacks has been entrusted with a wide ranging mandate, the Presidential Secretariat announced.

National carrier Sri Lankan Airlines will be recording a recovery to pre-pandemic revenue levels by the end of this year as the government is expected to relax air travel restrictions, chairman of the airline, Ashok Pathirage revealed.

The state-owned airline's revenue would recover to 75-80 per cent of pre-crisis levels by end 2021 as the island plans to reopen its international airports fully for travellers soon.

The national carrier plans to return to profitability by 2022 with the gradual improvement in aviation, travel and tourism," he said.

Sri Lanka's government has pledged USD 500 million in financial aid, of which USD 150m was disbursed this month to help its flag carrier weather the crisis, Pathirage said, adding that the rest of the funds will be disbursed over two years.

SriLankan Airlines, which recorded about USD 70m a month in revenue pre-crisis, is currently making about 30% - 35% of that, the chairman said.

He expects a recovery to 40% of pre-Covid revenue levels soon on higher demand for repatriation flights and air cargo.

SriLankan Airlines is currently operating a limited number of passenger flights using 70% of its all-Airbus fleet of A330s, A320s and A321s, while the remaining 30% of aircrafts are still grounded.

To preserve cash and control costs, the airline re-negotiated its aircraft leasing contracts, leading to savings of about USD 150m over the next five years, the chairman said.

The carrier offered 500 employees a voluntary retirement scheme a week ago, after ending the use of outsourced and contract workers, he said. This will reduce the workforce to 5,000 from 7,000.

"After Covid, SriLankan Airlines will be in much better shape to return to profitability," he said, adding that "Our plan is to make money by 2022."

The operator is planning new routes next year to Sydney, Seoul, Kathmandu and European cities, the chairman said. It is seeking to resume flights into India, one of its key markets, and increase frequencies to Dhaka.

In terms of cargo, the airline is seeking to triple or quadruple its freight volumes over the next two years to reduce reliance on passenger operations, Pathirage said.

To drive its cargo expansion, the airline is preparing a request for proposals (RFP) to procure its first two freighters, he added.

The first draft (zero draft) of the resolution on Sri Lanka to be tabled at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva calls on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to enhance its monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

The Women Parliamentarians Caucus has decided to request the Speaker to establish a Parliamentary Committee to inquire into the injustice and malpractices taking place against women in Sri Lanka. This was revealed by the chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians Caucus, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID-19 Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, in Parliament on Thursday (18).

With the approval of the Speaker, the establishment of this Committee is expected to be announced on March 09 in line with the International Women's Day, the chairperson said.

The Chairperson pointed out the need for a Parliamentary Committee with full powers to investigate various forms of violence, discrimination against women, as well as the impediments pertaining to the women in their profession.

Although it is said that women are treated equally, the MPs pointed out that being a woman is discriminated against in various spheres of society and this committee will be able to overcome the obstacles of progress on the basis of women's skills, abilities and qualifications. The specialty of this committee is that it consists of both female and male members.

Minister (Dr.) Sudarshani Fernandopulle, State Minister (Dr.) Seetha Arambepola, MPs Rohini Wijeratne, (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya and a number of female Members of Parliament as well as the Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera were also present at the meeting.

The United States is ready to expand the trade and investment potential with Sri Lanka agreeing to explore modalities in increasing in products that could benefit from GSP facility .

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has declined the invitation to receive the Covid-19 vaccine that was extended to all parliamentarians. JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath addressing an event in Kurunegala said that their MPs will get the vaccines only after the entire public has been completely vaccinated.

"We are not prepared to come only when the vaccine is given to the 225 parliamentarians. First ensure that the public is vaccinated. We can come after that, " Herath said.

The JVP also questioned the preferential treatment meted out to parliamentarians over groups that come into constant contact with the public such as health workers, security forces and teachers who face a bigger threat of contracting Covid-19 than any parliamentarian.