Islamabad: India on Tuesday dismissed Pakistan’s accusation that New Delhi delayed airspace clearance for a relief aircraft headed to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, calling the charge “ridiculous”. The disagreement comes at a time when Sri Lanka is reeling from catastrophic flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.

What India says on the airspace clearance

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected Islamabad’s allegations, stating they were “yet another attempt of spreading anti-India misinformation”.

According to him, the Indian high commission in Islamabad received the request for overflight clearance around 1 pm on Monday.

He said the application was “processed expeditiously the same day” and permission was granted “as per the itinerary proposed at 5:30 pm on December 1”. He added that “India remains committed to assisting the people of Sri Lanka in these challenging times through all available means”.

What Pakistan alleges about delays

The Pakistan Foreign Office repeated its claim that the relief mission was being obstructed due to India’s “lack of cooperation”.

It said on Tuesday that “India continues to block humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka”, adding that its special aircraft had been waiting “for over 60 hours now” for clearance.

The FO further stated that the “partial flight clearance issued by India last night, after 48 hours, was operationally impractical: time-bound for just a few hours and without validity for the return flight”.

Sri Lanka’s humanitarian crisis after Cyclone Ditwah

Sri Lanka continues to battle widespread flooding, landslides and severe damage to infrastructure, with several districts cut off. A report from the Disaster Management Centre at 6 pm on Tuesday confirmed 465 deaths and 366 missing since the extreme weather began on November 16.

India has launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to support Sri Lanka’s recovery efforts following the cyclone.