Supreme Court on Monday ordered the police to provide security to ex-MPs

The court made the decision after considering a petition filed by Mr. Hakeem against the removal of his security by the police chief just after the dissolution of the parliament on 09 February.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has agreed to provide four police officials but the counsel appeared for Mr. Hakeem has told the court that it is completely inadequate.

Mr. Hakeem told BBC Sandeshaya that the court also advised him to make a fresh request to the IGP for increased security.

"The court asked me to take the provided security and make representation to the IGP for added security when my counsel pointed out that four police officers were inadequate for a political leader who was subjected to violence in the past," he said.

17 opposition MPs

The court also decided to reconvene the hearing on 10 March to get the response from the IGP.

On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the police that it is appropriate to provide adequate security to former parliamentarians.

At the hearing of the petition, Government Solicitor-General stated that MPs are not entitled for security after parliament is dissolved Sri Lanka government

After considering a petition by 17 former opposition MPs, the SC rejected the argument by the Attorney General (AG) that that there is no legal basis to return the security withdrawn from former parliamentarians.

"At the hearing of the petition, Government Solicitor-General stated that MPs are not entitled for security after parliament is dissolved," the government information department website said.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nimal Gamini Amarathunga has noted that it is not an appropriate time to Supreme court argue whether it is a constitutional right especially as the court has intervened before to restore security to the MPs.

The Solicitor-General was ordered to inform the court on measures taken to restore security to former MPs as the case will be taken on Friday.