A special meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan is likely to take place this week. 

Sources close to the President said the aim of the meeting was to discuss the issue of political prisoners in the North. 

The meeting will be held following a request by TNA leader and Opposition Leader Sampanthan. 

While the President was in Jaffna over the weekend, protests broke out in many parts of the Northern peninsula demanding justice to prisoners taken into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The President, who held talks with the protesters, asked them to "come to Colombo" and discuss the issue.