A diplomatic dispute erupted on Tuesday after Pakistan accused India of delaying clearance for a special relief aircraft carrying aid to flood-hit Sri Lanka, while India strongly denied the allegation, saying the overflight request was approved on humanitarian grounds within hours.
The disagreement comes as Sri Lanka reels from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered severe flooding and displaced hundreds of thousands.
In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said India had become an “obstacle” in Pakistan’s efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka.
According to the spokesperson, Pakistan’s special relief aircraft was delayed for 60 hours, adding that India “still has not given clearance” for the plane.
After 48 hours, India issued partial clearance late last night, which Pakistan deemed “impractical", the spokesman said, adding that the clearance covered only a limited time window and did not include permission for the aircraft to return.
The spokesperson said India’s actions had slowed the delivery of crucial relief goods to Sri Lankan flood victims.
India says clearance granted in four hours
Officials in New Delhi dismissed Islamabad’s claims as “baseless,” “misleading,” and part of what they described as ongoing “fake reportage” by Pakistani media and diplomatic accounts.
According to Indian officials, Pakistan submitted a formal request at 1pm IST on Monday. "India approved the request by 5:30pm IST, within four hours. The approval was granted despite Pakistan having banned Indian airlines from its airspace," he added.
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The decision was made “purely on humanitarian grounds,” given the aid was meant for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka. “This gesture was extended even though Pakistan restricts Indian carriers. The claim that overflight was refused is false,” an official said.
Sri Lanka battling severe floods
Pakistan and India’s exchange comes as Sri Lanka faces its worst flooding in years, with Cyclone Ditwah causing widespread destruction across multiple provinces. Islamabad says it remains committed to delivering relief supplies and hopes the aircraft will be able to proceed soon.
