Pakistan accuses India of blocking Sri Lanka relief flight; MEA calls charge ‘ridiculous’

New Delhi: Pakistan on Tuesday accused India of obstructing its efforts to deliver cyclone relief to Sri Lanka, claiming New Delhi delayed permission for a Pakistani aircraft to use Indian airspace.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said its humanitarian mission had been stuck for more than 60 hours because India “continues to block humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka.”

According to the FO, India granted only “partial flight clearance” after 48 hours — a window they said was too short to be practical and did not include approval for the return leg, which they argued “severely hindered” the urgent relief operation.

India, however, dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous.”

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan’s request for overflight clearance was received around 1 pm on Monday and was approved the same day — by 5:30 pm on December 1 — exactly as proposed by Pakistan. He said the claim of non-cooperation was a “misinformation attempt” and reaffirmed that India remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka during the crisis.