India Dismisses Pakistan's Claims Over Humanitarian Aid Flight Delays

India Responds to Pakistan's Allegations

On Tuesday, India firmly rejected allegations from Pakistan that it obstructed a request for Indian airspace to facilitate humanitarian aid to cyclone-affected Sri Lanka.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, labeled the claims from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as 'absurd' and an effort to disseminate 'anti-India propaganda.'

Jaiswal explained that India received the overflight clearance request for a Pakistani aircraft carrying aid around 1 PM on Monday. Due to the urgency of the situation, the request was processed the same day, with permission granted by 5:30 PM, adhering to the planned itinerary.

He emphasized, 'India is dedicated to supporting the people of Sri Lanka during these difficult times through all possible avenues.'

On the same day, Islamabad accused New Delhi of 'significantly obstructing this urgent relief mission' by delaying the necessary airspace permissions.

According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, a special aircraft intended for delivering humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka experienced over 60 hours of delays due to the lack of flight clearance from India.

They further claimed that a partial clearance issued after 48 hours was impractical for operations, as it was only valid for a limited time and did not cover the return flight.

Subsequently, Pakistan's Foreign Office announced that 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid had been sent by sea following the delays in obtaining overflight approval.

Since November 28, Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe flooding, landslides, and extensive infrastructure damage due to Cyclone Ditwah, with reports indicating over 410 fatalities and 336 individuals missing.