India today sought to downplay the controversy over the delayed departure of the plane carrying Pakistanis injured in the Samjhauta Express blasts on Thursday, saying it had nothing to do with the ongoing investigations.

Pakistan had been told that investigations were on and the police could need to record the statements of the injured later. But the release of the injured passengers “was not linked to this”, nor was the delay in departure which was actually caused by a technical snag, the MEA said. There were reports that the absence of Rana Shaukat Ali, a key witness for the police, in the group of injured who were taken to the airport from Safdarjung Hospital had also contributed to the delayed departure. But the MEA spokesman today said the Pakistan High Commission had been informed he would not be leaving in the special aircraft since he was in Panipat to try and identify five of his children who had died in the fire. The aircraft left at 9.15 pm, over three hours after the passengers boarded it, because one of its engines developed a snag which had to be repaired by the ground staff, the spokesman said.

The C-130 aircraft with 14 crew and a 15-member medical team had landed on Thursday afternoon after Indian clearance to evacuate 10 injured Pakistanis being treated at Safdarjung Hospital. Only seven were taken to the airport in ambulances since three others—Rana Shaukat Ali, his wife Rukhsana and their one-year-old daughter Aksa—had left for Panipat after Shoukat expressed a wish to try and identify the bodies of five of their children who had died in the explosions. They had been able to identify the bodies and will be returning to Pakistan through Wagah.

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