Pakistan claims relief operations for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka ‘hampered by lack of cooperation’ by India

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday alleged that its relief operations for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka were being “hampered by lack of cooperation” by India by "delaying permission" to use its airspace, a claim denied by New Delhi.

India on Monday expeditiously heeded to Pakistan's request to use Indian airspace to send humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, people familiar with the matter said.

They said the official request for overflight was submitted by Pakistan at around 1300 hours (Indian time) on Monday and India expeditiously cleared the request and intimated the same to Pakistan at 1730 hours (Indian time).

It was processed at the shortest notice period of four hours, they added.

They also described as "fake", reports in the Pakistani media that India has not granted overflight facility to Pakistan to send aid to Sri Lanka.

"Pakistani media, as usual, is indulging in propaganda and peddling fake news. These allegations are baseless and misleading. All requests for overflight or transit are processed strictly in accordance with established procedures and international norms," said one of the people.

The Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday claimed that Islamabad’s relief efforts were being “hampered by lack of cooperation” by India which was “delaying permission to allow it to use its air space”.

“India continues to block humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka continues to face delays for over 60 hours now awaiting flight clearance from India,” the FO said in a social media post.

It further claimed: “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, severely hindering this urgent relief Mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka.”

Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity.

India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, to help Sri Lanka recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has confirmed at least 410 deaths and 336 missing till Tuesday morning in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.