India on Tuesday strongly refuted Pakistan’s accusations that New Delhi had created delays in granting overflight clearance to a Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed Islamabad’s claims “fabricated, misleading, and an attempt to stir unnecessary controversy at a time of humanitarian crisis.”
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing reporters, said that Pakistan was deliberately spreading misinformation despite India approving the request within a few hours of receiving it. “We reject the ridiculous and false narrative being pushed by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Their statements are crafted to mislead their public and malign India’s image,” he said.
According to the MEA, Pakistan’s High Commission in Islamabad sent the request for airspace clearance at around 1 pm on December 1, 2025. Indian officials, citing the urgency of the relief mission for flood-hit Sri Lanka, processed the request “with utmost priority” and granted clearance by 5:30 pm the same day, following the exact flight schedule provided by Pakistan.
“India has consistently supported Sri Lanka during natural disasters, and we acted with the same commitment this time as well,” Jaiswal added, noting that New Delhi’s own relief mission—Operation Sagar Bandhu—is already underway across multiple affected districts.
Pakistan, however, continued to allege that India delayed approval for “over 60 hours” and only granted a “partial and unworkable” clearance. Islamabad’s Foreign Office posted on X that the limited airspace window made the relief operation “impractical” and did not include clearance for the aircraft’s return journey.
The controversy intensified after the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka shared photos of relief supplies. Social media users quickly flagged images of aid packages that appeared to carry expired dates from October 2024, triggering criticism over the quality of relief material being flown.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka continues to grapple with severe destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which has triggered catastrophic flooding, massive landslides, and widespread damage to infrastructure. According to the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, at least 410 people have died, and 336 remain missing since extreme weather began impacting the island nation on November 16.
