&nbsp;A three-member committee appointed to probe the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankan-police-make-arrests-amid-violence-after-easter-attack-218825">Easter Sunday attacks</a> in Sri Lanka that killed 258 people, including 11 Indians, Monday submitted its final report to President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-president-maithripala-sirisena-vows-to-eliminate-terrorism-threat-219949">Maithripala Sirisena</a>.

Supreme Court Justice Vijith Malalgoda, who headed the committee, handed over the report to President Sirisena.

&nbsp;Other members of the committee - former ministerial secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne and former police chief N K Ilangakoon &nbsp;were also present. The details of the report were immediately not available.

President Sirisena appointed the committee on April 22 to probe into the Easter bombings and identify its root causes along with other related matters.

The ad hoc investigation body had submitted two interim reports on the investigations to the President on earlier occasions.

Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa, and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended in 2009.

The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) for the bombings.

A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil medium teacher and a school principal, have been arrested in connection with the blasts.

President Sirisena suspended police chief Pujith Jayasundara and dismissed his top defence official Hemasiri Fernando after it was found that there were intelligence failures before the attacks.

A three-member committee appointed to probe the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka that killed 258 people, including 11 Indians, Monday submitted its final report to President Maithripala Sirisena.

A three-member committee appointed to probe the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka that killed 258 people, including 11 Indians, Monday submitted its final report to President Maithripala Sirisena. Supreme Court Justice Vijith Malalgoda, who headed the committee, handed over the report to President Sirisena. Other members of the committee - former ministerial secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne and former police chief N K Ilangakoon were also present. The details of the report were immediately not available. President Sirisena appointed the committee on April 22 to probe into the Easter bombings and identify its root causes along with other related matters. The ad hoc investigation body had submitted two interim reports on the investigations to the President on earlier occasions. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa, and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended in 2009. The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) for the bombings. A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil medium teacher and a school principal, have been arrested in connection with the blasts. President Sirisena suspended police chief Pujith Jayasundara and dismissed his top defence official Hemasiri Fernando after it was found that there were intelligence failures before the attacks.

Committee probing Easter attacks submits its final report to Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena

Pakistan's government on Saturday announced it will press terrorism and sedition charges against leaders of a hardline Islamist group that staged recent protests across the country.

The leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) party, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and several senior figures were detained last month after they shut down major cities in protest at the acquittal of a Christian woman who had spent eight years on death row on blasphemy charges.

One of the TLP co-founders called for the killing of the Supreme Court judges who acquitted Asia Bibi, as well as the overthrow of the government and the powerful army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Rizvi had been "charged under sections of sedition and terrorism" in a police station in the eastern city of Lahore. Three other senior TLP figures are facing the same charges.

"Today we have decided to take legal action against the TLP leadership," Chaudhry told a press conference.

"All those who were directly involved in destroying property, who misbehaved with women, who set fire to buses, are being charged under laws of terrorism at different police stations."

The move represents a hardening of the authorities' stance towards the group, which in late 2017 paralysed the capital Islamabad for several weeks and clashed with the police in deadly protests.

Concessions

In 2017 and last month TLP members called off protests after negotiating with the military and reaching a deal with the government, which made many concessions to appease the group. When Rizvi was finally detained, authorities said he was not arrested, but merely put in "protective custody".

Chaudhry said more than 3,000 TLP members were taken into protective custody in the wake of the protests.

The TLP, whose main focus is protecting Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws, was founded out of a movement supporting a bodyguard who assassinated Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer for advocating for Bibi in 2011.

Blasphemy is a deeply emotive issue in Pakistan's staunchly religious society, and officials have been unnerved by how much support Rizvi's TLP has garnered across the country in the two years since the group entered mainstream politics.

Information Minister Chaudhry said Rizvi's deputy, Afzal Qadri, was also charged over terrorism and sedition, along with senior TLP leaders Inyatul Haq Shah and Hafiz Farooq ul Hassan.

Qadri shocked many Pakistanis last month when he called for the overthrow of the army chief, an unthinkable comment in Pakistan where the military is rarely criticised in public and the army normally does not tolerate such dissent.

"Sedition has a sentence of life imprisonment, they can face life imprisonment. All the charges will be submitted before courts," Chaudhry said.

Pakistan's government on Saturday announced it will press terrorism and sedition charges against leaders of a hardline Islamist group that staged recent protests across the country.

Pakistan's government on Saturday announced it will press terrorism and sedition charges against leaders of a hardline Islamist group that staged recent protests across the country. The leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) party, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and several senior figures were detained last month after they shut down major cities in protest at the acquittal of a Christian woman who had spent eight years on death row on blasphemy charges. One of the TLP co-founders called for the killing of the Supreme Court judges who acquitted Asia Bibi, as well as the overthrow of the government and the powerful army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Rizvi had been "charged under sections of sedition and terrorism" in a police station in the eastern city of Lahore. Three other senior TLP figures are facing the same charges. "Today we have decided to take legal action against the TLP leadership," Chaudhry told a press conference. "All those who were directly involved in destroying property, who misbehaved with women, who set fire to buses, are being charged under laws of terrorism at different police stations." The move represents a hardening of the authorities' stance towards the group, which in late 2017 paralysed the capital Islamabad for several weeks and clashed with the police in deadly protests. Concessions In 2017 and last month TLP members called off protests after negotiating with the military and reaching a deal with the government, which made many concessions to appease the group. When Rizvi was finally detained, authorities said he was not arrested, but merely put in "protective custody". Chaudhry said more than 3,000 TLP members were taken into protective custody in the wake of the protests. The TLP, whose main focus is protecting Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws, was founded out of a movement supporting a bodyguard who assassinated Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer for advocating for Bibi in 2011. Blasphemy is a deeply emotive issue in Pakistan's staunchly religious society, and officials have been unnerved by how much support Rizvi's TLP has garnered across the country in the two years since the group entered mainstream politics. Information Minister Chaudhry said Rizvi's deputy, Afzal Qadri, was also charged over terrorism and sedition, along with senior TLP leaders Inyatul Haq Shah and Hafiz Farooq ul Hassan. Qadri shocked many Pakistanis last month when he called for the overthrow of the army chief, an unthinkable comment in Pakistan where the military is rarely criticised in public and the army normally does not tolerate such dissent. "Sedition has a sentence of life imprisonment, they can face life imprisonment. All the charges will be submitted before courts," Chaudhry said.

Pakistan government to press terrorism, sedition charges against Tehreek-e-Labbaik leader

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Committee probing Easter attacks submits its final report to Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena

Pakistan government to press terrorism, sedition charges against Tehreek-e-Labbaik leader