Passport issue will be resolved by October 20 – Minister Herath

Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said that the measures will be taken to resolve the ongoing passport crisis by October 20.

He was speaking to the media after assuming duties on Tuesday. Minister Herath further said that the queues for new passports has been one of the biggest issues in the country and he will take all possible measures to resolve it as soon as possible.

“We have already discussed the matter with the Director General of Immigration and Emigration and the queue can be ended by October 20 and new passports can be issued.” the Minister said.

The Minister further said that the instructions have already been given to the Director General to propose alternatives to the current queue situation. There are some efforts being made on his side. In the short term, let’s try to go for an alternative solution,” the Minister said.Public Security Minister Herath pledged to take necessary measures to maintain law and order of the country and also to ensure the police operate independently without any political interference. He also pledged to restore the public trust and confidence in the police.

The Minister urged senior police officers to address any previous wrongdoings in enforcing law and order and also to rectify if there were any previous wrongdoings while implementing law and order.

“I will give officers the freedom to act independently in upholding law and order. There should be no political interference. We guarantee that our government Ministers and MPs will not contact police OICs to influence them,” he said.

The Minister said that transfers and appointments within the police should be based solely on service and administrative needs and not due to political requirements.

“The police have the responsibility of performing their duties and enforce the law impartially, without favouring anyone. Even if someone close to us has done something wrong, the law must be applied equally to everyone,” he said.

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