Parliament complex area to become new HSZ

The surrounding area of the Parliamentary complex in Kotte will be gazetted as a High Security Zone (HSZ), due to heightened threats of terrorist attacks, an official of the Parliament Police said. Senior Superintendent, S.A.D.S.Gunawardena said Parliament Police were in the process of demarcating the area to come under the HSZ. He said a report which would facilitate the process and containing security concerns for the area would be submitted to the Speaker shortly.

The demarcated area will include the Speaker’s official residence, the Parliament complex and the MPs quarters at Kaduwela, The Sunday Times learns. Markings are being made around the area, to declaring it as a HSZ ahead of the issuing of the gazette notification. Parking and loitering within the area have already been established as punishable offences.

Parliament security officials are concerned that new high rise buildings around the complex could be used to target MPs. Even with restrictions to building in and around the area, so as not to pose a threat to Parliament, such guidelines have been ignored, he noted.