News
New Pakistan HC agrees to look into request made by Speaker to bring fasting Buddha statue from Lahore museum for Lankans to pay homage
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne requested the High Commissioner of Pakistan to facilitate bringing to Sri Lanka the statue depicting the Buddha’s austerities (Fasting Buddha Statue), currently housed at the Lahore Museum in Pakistan, so that Sri Lankan devotees may have the opportunity to view and pay homage, the Parliament Media Division said.
The request was made when the newly appointed High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka, Major General (Retired) Dr. Nayyar Naseer, called on Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament on April 21.
Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan Zunaira Latif and Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera were also present.
During the meeting, the High Commissioner said it was a “great pleasure and honour” to serve in Sri Lanka for the first time, describing the country as a friendly nation with a rich cultural heritage. He reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening long-standing bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation to a more productive level.
The Speaker congratulated the High Commissioner on his appointment and expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Pakistan for their continued support to Sri Lanka during challenging periods. He recalled Pakistan’s assistance during critical moments, including the war period and the devastation caused by Cyclone “Ditwah,” describing such support as a true expression of friendship.
He also commended Pakistan’s role as an active contributor to fostering global unity, noting that the Sri Lanka–Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Association has opened new avenues to deepen engagement between the legislatures of both countries.
Responding to the Speaker’s request regarding the Fasting Buddha Statue, the High Commissioner indicated his willingness to explore the matter.
He also highlighted Sri Lanka’s potential for further development in tourism, citing its natural beauty and hospitality, and expressed Pakistan’s readiness to share expertise in modern, technology-based agriculture.
During his visit, the High Commissioner also met Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, where discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, including expanding educational scholarship programmes and enhancing knowledge-sharing among parliamentarians.
He later called on Leader of the House and Minister Bimal Rathnayake, with whom he held discussions on a broad range of bilateral matters.
The Minister expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s support following the Cyclone “Ditwah” disaster and recalled his participation in the International Conference of Regional Transport Ministers held in Pakistan last year. He said plans were underway to complete Sri Lanka’s proposed expressway network by the end of 2028.
Discussions also covered investment opportunities, tourism development, and programmes to promote exchanges between public representatives at parliamentary and local government levels, officials said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri departed the Port of Colombo today, 11 September 2026, following the successful completion of a four day official visit.
On her departure, the Sri Lanka Navy bade farewell to the ship in accordance with time-honoured naval traditions.
During the visit, naval personnel from both navies engaged in joint initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties. These included a friendly volleyball match, a beach cleanup along the Galle Face
promenade, and a training exercise on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS).
As part of the visit, the Indian Navy handed over a consignment of spares and supplies to the Sri Lanka Navy. Visiting crew members also toured key tourist attractions in and around Colombo.
Official interactions of this nature aim to enhance cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the two maritime forces, supporting joint responses to evolving regional maritime challenges.
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of the Sri Lanka Scout Association was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (10) afternoon .
The President was briefed on the 11th National Scout Jamboree, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in January 2027, as well as the current status and progress of its organisational arrangements.
The official logo of the National Scout Jamboree was also presented to the President and officially unveiled on the occasion.
Views were also exchanged on the programmes currently being implemented by the Sri Lanka Scout Association and its future plans.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised the importance of expanding the Scout Movement to more schools and the contribution that the Scout Movement can make to the Government’s programmes to combat drugs.
President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage; Chief Scout Commissioner, Attorney-at-Law Manoj Nanayakkara; President of the Sri Lanka Scout Association Ransiri Perera; Deputy Chief Scout Commissioner (Acting) Kapila Perera; Chairman of the Executive Committee Kamalnath Jinadasa; and Jamboree Co-Organising Commissioner, Engineer Amil Abeysundara, were among the senior representatives of the Sri Lanka Scout Association who attended the occasion.
[President’s Media Division]
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Catholic religious leaders, led by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (10).
Special attention was given to the Government’s programme to strengthen coexistence, peace and reconciliation among all communities in the country and to ensure national unity by preventing any form of racist or religiously motivated hate activity.
The progress of investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks was also discussed.
Lengthy discussions were held on measures that could be taken to prevent environmental damage and destruction affecting the lives of the people.
The Catholic religious leaders commended the measures taken by the Government to safeguard trust among all communities and expressed their fullest support for these efforts.
The issues faced by Catholic communities, including infrastructure development in areas where Catholic people reside, as well as measures that should be taken to address these issues, were also discussed at length.
Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini, Rev. Fr. Julian Patrick and other priests, as well as Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage and others, were also present at the meeting.
President’s Media Division (PMD)
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