Not in a hurry to take a decision on resuming office as minister : Hakeem

Former Minister Rauff Hakeem has said that while the President himself asked him to resume duties as a minister, he is not in a hurry to take a decision immediately.

"The (Parliamentary Select Committee) report on the Easter Sunday attacks would be submitted in near future. Those who have allegations against them will be brought to light. I will remain patient for some time," he said during an event in Gampola yesterday (Jun 24).

Mr. Hakeem was among the group of Muslim ministers who resigned from their ministerial portfolios collectively as tensions sparked across the country demanding the resignation of certain Muslim politicians.

"I suggested that we collectively resign instead of asking each other to give up their posts. It was a spontaneous decision," the former Minister recalled.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hakeem while attending an event in Kandy yesterday opined that the Easter Sunday attacks had been carried out by an invisible force and not by the IS-terror group.

He proceeded to reject parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila's recent remarks stating that the Muslim child population has shown a considerable growth when compared to other communities.

"The first census was recorded in 1881. The Buddhist population which existed then has increased by 10 percent since then. The population of any other community has not shown a similar growth," former Minister Hakeem claimed.