The information ministry has rejected a New York Times (NYT) report claiming that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets were being used in operations against Yemen’s Houthi group, describing the report as “fake and fabricated”.
The NYT published the report on October 7, citing an unnamed source that claimed PAF aircraft were being deployed against the Houthis amid the group’s escalating conflict with Saudi Arabia.
The information ministry shared a screenshot of the report in a post on X and disputed its claims. “The NYT story attributing the employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated,” the ministry said.
It also urged international media organisations to avoid speculation about the deployment of Pakistani military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
“International media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan’s military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” the ministry said, adding that the relevant authorities will provide details of any deployment, if necessary.
Earlier this week, the ministry also described a Reuters report claiming that Pakistan had deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia as “speculative”.
The reports came after Pakistan and Turkiye agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the Kingdom during an emergency meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance in Riyadh.
The defence pact, signed on August 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and requires its signatories to treat an attack against one member as an attack against all members.
Monday’s meeting of the coalition focused on security developments and threats facing Saudi Arabia. In a statement issued after the meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said that the member states had agreed to implement their collective defence commitments and take the necessary steps to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities.
On Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also confirmed that Pakistani troops were present in Saudi Arabia. He, however, added that Pakistani forces had been stationed in the Kingdom “for decades” and operated across multiple domains.
