SILMIYA YOUSUF
COLOMBO- Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived here on Tuesday and he was received by prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.
Cricketer turned politician,Khan is on an official visit on an invitation by his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Prime Minister Imran Khan was accorded a red-carpet reception upon arrival. This was followed by a formal welcoming ceremony, where the Prime Minister was given a 19 – gun salute. The Prime Minister also inspected an impressive guard-of-honor, following which the national anthems of both countries were played. The Prime Minister also signed the Visitors’ Book.
The two prime ministers will witness the inking of five agreements between the two countries in the fields of Economic and Trade, Investment, Industrial Technology and Education with the participation.
The visiting premier is to hold talks with Rajapaksa same day and witness the signing of seven MOUs at the official residence of the prime minister followed by a dinner banquet hosted by his counterpart at the Temple Trees.
Khan is expected to hold talks with the President on Wednesday and would also attend an Lanka- Pakistan Investors Forum on the same day.
Meanwhile,a group of Muslims staged a massive protest at Fort, near the Shangri La Hotel and Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday evening as a mark of protest against the government’s forced cremation policy and the government denial of providing a meeting opportunity between the Muslim MPs and the visiting premier.
Sri Lankan government has cited security reasons for rejecting a request made by a group of 15 Muslim parliamentarians to meet the visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during his two-day official visit to the island.
On Tuesday morning, Minister of Mass Media and government spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella announced that his government had to reject the request of the Muslim parliamentarians’ meeting due to security reasons.
“ A group of 15 Muslim MPs from different political parties made a written request through the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo to meet the visiting prime minister, but it was turned down by the government citing threat of life to the visiting premier.
Sri Lanka made cremation of Covid infected remains mandatory by a special gazette notification published on April 11, last year. On February 9, the country’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa answering to a point of order told the parliament that the government would allow the burial of such bodies. However, it was not implemented until a subsequent gazette notification is issued annulling the previous order.
Former minister and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Rishath Bathiudeen said that the Muslim community has been traumatized due to this cremation order for well over a year. “
Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman said that the community is suffering in pain from this cremation policy. “ People are not afraid of deaths but they are afraid of cremation,” Rahman said.
Former Western Province Governor Azath Sally, former ministers Ali Zahir Mowlana and Ameer Ali were seen among protesters.