ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to flood-ravaged Sri Lanka has been delayed for more than 60 hours awaiting flight clearance from India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
In an official statement, the Foreign Office reported that India issued partial clearance late Sunday after a 48-hour delay. However, the authorization was "operationally impractical."
The time-limited clearance was valid for only a few hours and did not include permission for the return flight.
The foreign office said the restrictions were severely hindering relief efforts for Sri Lanka, where flooding has killed at least 355 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
India banned Pakistan-registered aircraft from its airspace on April 30, days after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers on April 24. The restrictions followed India's unilateral decision to withdraw from the Indus Waters Treaty and accused Pakistan of orchestrating an attack in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Kashmir, without any evidence.
Sri Lanka’s flood crisis
Sri Lanka is facing one of the region's worst flooding disasters in recent years. Heavy rains linked to Cyclone Ditwah caused the Kelani River to overflow, submerging large areas of Colombo and surrounding districts.
Of Sri Lanka's 355 confirmed deaths, 257 occurred in the central tea-growing highlands, according to official figures. Another 366 people remain missing.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency and pledged to rebuild with international support.
Nearly 210,000 people are sheltering in relief camps, and another 1.15 million require assistance, according to government data.
Water levels in Colombo have peaked and are expected to recede soon, authorities said.
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