Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has requested Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee on the proposed Counter-Terrorism Act (CTA).

The Opposition Leader's Office said Rajapaksa had made the request as many parties in Parliament had opposed the proposed legislation.

Rajapaksa stated that there was opposition to the proposed legislation from every sector of society stressing the need for broader dialogue on its impact.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has made it clear that the government will expedite the passage of the Counter-Terrorism Act in Parliament especially in the light of the Easter Sunday explosions.