State of Emergency Extended; Extraordinary Gazette Issued by Presidential Secretary

03-Mar-2026

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An Extraordinary Gazette notification extending the existing nationwide State of Emergency has been issued with the signature of the Secretary to the President.

Accordingly, the State of Emergency has been extended with effect from February 28.

The Gazette states that the extension has been implemented to ensure public security, maintain public order, and guarantee the uninterrupted supply of essential goods and services necessary for the daily lives of the public.

The government has emphasized that the extension is necessary in light of the current emergency situation in the country. It is also noteworthy that the President had previously assured that emergency powers would not be used to violate the civil rights of citizens.

Meanwhile, a separate Extraordinary Gazette that had previously declared 15 services as essential services has also been extended. Accordingly, the following sectors will continue to be classified as essential services: electricity, fuel, healthcare services, transportation, roads, water supply, food distribution, district and divisional secretariat offices, ambulance services, the Central Bank and state banks, insurance services, irrigation, telecommunications, postal and media services, landslide prevention and mitigation, agriculture, and agricultural insurance services.

The government stated that through this renewed declaration, all designated services will continue to operate without interruption under essential services regulations for the duration of the State of Emergency.