ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday sent a 47-member urban search and rescue team (USAR) to Sri Lanka, where Cyclone Ditwah has unleashed catastrophic flooding and landslides, killing more than 400 people and displacing thousands.
A Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft, carrying specialised personnel and 6.5 tons of essential equipment, departed from Nur Khan Airbase as part of Islamabad’s emergency humanitarian response, Radio Pakistan reported.
At a send-off ceremony, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik said the mission underscored Pakistan’s solidarity with Sri Lanka in a moment of unprecedented crisis.
“Pakistan has committed all-out support since November 28 when the cyclone impacted Sri Lanka,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had directed “full-out support” for relief operations.
Malik said a nearby Pakistan Navy vessel had immediately assisted Sri Lankan authorities in evacuating stranded civilians during the initial onslaught of the cyclone. He described Cyclone Ditwah as “unfortunate and unprecedented”, noting shifts in regional weather patterns linked to climate change.
Additional aid mobilised
The NDMA chief said Pakistan had shipped 200 tons of relief cargo on Tuesday from Karachi via a commercial container vessel, with more consignments scheduled from Lahore and Karachi.
“The prime minister has also committed additional support from Pakistan if required,” he added.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who also spoke at the ceremony, conveyed Pakistan’s “deepest condolences” to Colombo. “Everything that is possible for the government of Pakistan to do will be done,” he assured the Sri Lankan ambassador present at the event.
India accused of blocking flight clearance
The aid dispatch came a day after the Foreign Office alleged that India was obstructing Pakistan’s humanitarian flights. A statement from the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo said Pakistan’s C-130 aircraft—carrying USAR teams, field hospitals, sniffer dogs and nearly 200 tonnes of life-saving supplies—had been delayed at Nur Khan Airbase for more than two days due to “delaying tactics” in granting flight clearance.
With air access reportedly restricted, Islamabad shifted part of its relief mission to sea routes.
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PM Shehbaz reviews response; Sri Lankan president expresses gratitude
On Tuesday, PM Shehbaz presided over a briefing on the relief plan, directing authorities to extend full assistance for search, rescue and later, rehabilitation. He expressed sorrow over the heavy loss of life in Sri Lanka, reaffirming that Pakistan “stands with the people of Sri Lanka during this crisis”.
The prime minister also received a call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who thanked Pakistan for its swift support and solidarity. He noted that Pakistan was among the first countries to respond following the cyclone.
Relief items are being dispatched to Sri Lanka’s flood victims on the instructions of *Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif*. Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry talks to media pic.twitter.com/lhLz9xM7m5
— Dr. Tariq Fazal Ch. (@DrTariqFazal) December 3, 2025
Pakistan Navy ship Saif, deployed in Sri Lankan waters, has already been assisting in operations, including the rescue of a family stranded for five days, according to officials.
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