<span style="color: #222222;">Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued a gazette notification tasking armed forces to maintain public order throughout the country and the territorial waters adjacent to the coastal districts.<br />'' <br />'' The notification, coming into effect from midnight, has been issued in accordance with the powers vested upon the President by Section 12 of the Public security ordinance. A defence spokesman said it is not a new thing and has been done in the past also. However, the notification has come as celebrations for LTTE heroes day fall next week.<br />'' <br />''<br />''Earlier, the country was under emergency laws for four months after Easter Sunday attacks where armed forces were given powers for search and seizure operations. </span><br />