Following the 1983 riots, he returned to Sri Lanka in 1983 and was appointed National Security Adviser. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War, with concerns over the presidential security, he formed the elite Special Task Force. He assisted Lalith Athulathmudali, Minister of National Security in the formation of the Sri Lankan Home Guard to defend border villages that were consistently attacked by the LTTE. He stepped down from his post when his father's term in office ended.