India on Tuesday dismissed as “ridiculous” Pakistan’s allegation that New Delhi denied airspace clearance for a Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the claim was yet another attempt by Pakistan to spread “anti-India misinformation”. He clarified that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad received the overflight request around 1 pm on Monday.
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“Given the urgency of the situation, the Government of India processed the request promptly and granted permission the same day, at 5:30 pm on December 1, as per the proposed flight schedule,” Jaiswal said.
He reiterated that India remains committed to supporting the people of Sri Lanka in their time of crisis “through all available means”.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had alleged that India was hindering its relief operations by delaying airspace clearance for over 60 hours.
Sri Lanka is battling severe flooding, landslides and widespread damage caused by a recent cyclone. India has already launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to assist the affected nation in its recovery efforts.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
