India on Tuesday firmly dismissed Pakistan’s allegation that New Delhi blocked its request to use Indian airspace for delivering humanitarian aid to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, calling the claim “ridiculous.”
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan’s statement was “yet another attempt at spreading anti-India misinformation.” He clarified that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad received Pakistan’s overflight request around 1 pm on Monday.
“Given the urgency of humanitarian assistance, the Government of India processed the request expeditiously and granted overflight permission the same day at 5:30 pm on December 1,” Jaiswal said.
His remarks came after Pakistan accused India of delaying clearance and “hampering” its relief mission, claiming its special aircraft had been waiting for more than 60 hours for permission to fly.
India reiterated that it remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka during the crisis, highlighting its own relief initiative, Operation Sagar Bandhu, launched to assist the island nation as it battles severe flooding, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage caused by the cyclone.
Sri Lankan authorities reported at least 410 deaths and 336 people missing as of Tuesday morning. (Source: NDTV)
