The government of Shehbaz Sharif has come under fire in Colombo after Pakistan sent expired relief materials to Sri Lanka during its most critical moment, as the country struggles with deadly floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. The disaster has resulted in at least 456 deaths, 366 people missing, and more than 1.5 million people affected across the nation.
Information reported by AFP and News 18, a CNN partner, indicates that the consignment sent from Pakistan contained medical supplies, medicines, food packets, and various essential goods.
Sri Lankan officials have verified that some of the items sent as relief from Islamabad had already expired. Upon examining the emergency assistance materials, authorities identified multiple cartons containing expired and unusable products.
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management and Foreign Affairs doptor labelled the issue as extremely alarming. A post from the X account of the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo gained widespread attention online, showing an aid package marked with 2024 as the expiry year. However, the post was not found on the account at the time this report was prepared.
Colombo has already expressed its dissatisfaction to Islamabad through both official and unofficial diplomatic channels. Experts say the incident is deeply embarrassing for Pakistan, especially as the country seeks to strengthen its strategic footprint in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankan authorities remarked that the incident raises serious concerns about the quality and prioritisation of Pakistan’s humanitarian efforts.
The matter has fuelled public anger in Sri Lanka. Many social media users have described it as an insult and a farce carried out in the name of humanitarian assistance, urging the government to demand explanations from Pakistan.
Following the incident, Colombo officials have tightened inspection protocols for incoming relief supplies, particularly from countries with prior instances of sending substandard aid. Pakistan has faced similar backlash before; in 2015, Islamabad drew widespread condemnation for sending beef-based food to Nepal, a predominantly Hindu nation, after the devastating earthquake.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Anuruddha Kumara Dissanayake has declared a state of emergency to manage the disaster, calling it the most severe natural catastrophe in the country’s history.
Source: News 18
Glive24/SS