Former parliamentarians have been instructed to return the pistols issued to them for personal security to the Ministry of Defence.
A senior defense official has said that parliamentary authorities have sent individual letters to former MPs who had received these firearms, requesting the return of their pistols.
Reports indicate that more than 100 MPs out of the 225 members in the recently dissolved Parliament had been provided pistols for personal protection.
This recent development follows a previous government decision to allow former MPs to retain at least two firearms for personal security.
In August, then Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardana, addressing the media before the presidential election, mentioned that due to the rising violence in the country, the government had decided to implement a new policy permitting ex-MPs to keep two firearms.
It remains uncertain whether the current government will uphold the previous administration’s decision regarding this matter.
