India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday strongly dismissed Pakistan’s allegation that New Delhi denied its request to use Indian airspace to transport humanitarian assistance to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka. Calling Islamabad’s statement “ridiculous”, the MEA said the claim was yet another attempt by Pakistan to spread “anti-India misinformation”.
The ministry termed the statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry “baseless” and clarified that the request for overflight clearance was actually processed swiftly and on priority.
“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 MEA said.
According to the ministry, the request from Pakistan was received by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at 1 pm on Monday, December 1, 2025. Given the urgent nature of the mission—which involved transporting humanitarian supplies to Sri Lanka after the devastating cyclone—India processed the request the same day.
The MEA stated that clearance was approved at 5:30 pm on December 1, exactly in line with the itinerary provided by Pakistan.
Reaffirming its commitment to assisting Sri Lanka during its crisis, the ministry said India remains dedicated to supporting the people of the island nation “through all available means.”
India Cleared Request in Four Hours, Say Sources
A day earlier, senior officials familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times that Pakistan’s request had been approved “within four hours” — among the shortest possible turnaround times for such permissions.
“This gesture by India, despite the Pakistani side having banned the use of its airspace for Indian airlines, was done purely on humanitarian grounds,” one official said.
The officials also accused Pakistan’s media of pushing “propaganda and fake news” by portraying India as obstructing the relief mission.
“These allegations are baseless and misleading. All requests for overflight or transit are processed strictly in accordance with established procedures and international norms,” an official added.
They emphasised that India’s decisions regarding airspace permissions are governed by standard operational, technical and security assessments — not political motives.