MEA spokesperson rejected Pakistan’s claim of delayed overflight clearance for humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, calling it misinformation and affirming India’s prompt approval.
India on Tuesday called Pakistan’s claim that New Delhi delayed in giving overflight clearance sought by Islamabad as “ridiculous”.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan submitted a request at around 1 pm (IST) on December 1, 2025, seeking permission for an aircraft to use Indian airspace for a humanitarian assistance mission to Sri Lanka, and the clearance was given the same day.
In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal hit out at Pakistan for spreading anti-India misinformation.
“We reject the ridiculous statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan which is yet another attempt of spreading anti-India misinformation. The request for overflight clearance for Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka was received by the High Commission of India in Islamabad at around 1300 hrs on December 1, 2025. Given the urgency of humanitarian assistance, the Government of India processed the request expeditiously the same day and granted the overflight permission as per the itinerary proposed at 1730 hrs on December 01, 2025,” he stated.
The MEA said India remains committed to assisting the people of Sri Lanka in these challenging times through all available means.
India also called out a pattern of misinformation emerging from Pakistan, noting that this incident follows recent attempts by Pakistani media and diplomatic handles to spread incorrect claims — including false reports regarding India’s participation in an Oxford Union debate.
Pakistani media made misleading claims that India refused to grant airspace to Pakistan for humanitarian aid flights headed to flood-hit Sri Lanka.
At least 355 people were killed, and over 300 are still missing after landslides and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.
Cyclone Ditwah, packing strong winds and heavy rains, brought the island nation’s worst floods in a decade when it struck on Friday, setting off landslides in the hilly central region.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said it was the first time the entire country had been struck by such a natural disaster, which he called the “largest and most challenging” in Sri Lanka’s history.
