The decision on further extending emergency regulations would be taken at the next National Security Council (NSC) meeting this month, State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said yesterday. On 22 April, Parliament approved enforcing emergency regulations in the country for a month. The resolution presented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe under the Public Security Ordinance, to implement emergency regulations in the country through a proclamation made by the President, was approved without a vote. An extraordinary gazette notification has been issued by President Maithripala Sirisena declaring a state of emergency in Sri Lanka to maintain public security and essential services by virtue of the powers vested in the President by Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) as amended by Act No. 8 of 1959, Law No. 6 of 1978 and Act No. 28 of 1988, and by this Proclamation declared that the provisions of Part II of that Ordinance had come into operation throughout Sri Lanka on and after 22 April. Accordingly, the President’s Office had announced that the nationwide emergency law, which gives the Police and military sweeping new powers to detain and interrogate suspects without a court’s approval, be enforced. The President’s Emergency Order permits the Police expanded power to search, seize, arrest, and question individuals.