Colombo, June. 24 (PTI): The Sri Lankan Government has launched a scathing attack on the Indian-led international panel which is supervising investigations into human rights abuses, accusing it of "exceeding its mandate" .

The 11-member International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) led by former Chief Justice P N Bhagwati was invited by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make sure that human rights investigations in Sri Lanka were conducted according to international standards.

According to Sri Lanka's Attorney General, C.R. De Silva, IIGEP is overstepping its brief and issuing statements damaging the government.

"In the view of the Government of Sri Lanka, the IIGEP has exceeded its mandate indirectly proposing to the government that an international human rights monitoring mechanism be established or invited to Sri Lanka," de Silva said.

The IIGEP was constituted in February this year to oversee the investigations by the Presidential Commission Inquiry tasked to look into several high-profile cases of alleged human rights violations including the killings of 17 aid workers and former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

In its first report on June one, the IIGEP said the Presidential Commission had so far made "hardly any noticeable progress" in investigations and inquiries since its inception in November 2006.

The panel said it remained concerned that current measures taken by the Sri Lankan Government and the Commission to address issues "such as the independence of the Commission, timeliness and witness protection are not adequate and do not satisfy international norms and standards."