India Allows Pakistani Aircraft to Carry Cyclone Aid Over its Airspace to Sri Lanka

COLOMBO (News 1st): India has granted Pakistan permission for a Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian aid for cyclone victims in Sri Lanka to use its airspace.

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

According to sources, an official request for overflight was submitted by Pakistan to India at around 1300 hrs IST today, seeking permission to fly over Indian airspace on the same day, December 1.

Given that the request pertained to humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, sources said the government “expeditiously cleared the request.”

The Government of Pakistan was informed at 1730 hrs through official channels, four hours after the request was made.

This gesture from India, despite Pakistan having banned its airspace for Indian airlines, was considered purely on humanitarian grounds, sources said.