Pakistan rejects NYT report of PAF jets striking Houthis as fake

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information on Thursday rejected as “fake and fabricated” a New York Times report that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft were being used against Yemen’s Houthis.

The NYT report, published on October 7, cited an unnamed source as saying that PAF fighter jets were being employed against the group as its conflict with Saudi Arabia escalates. The ministry shared a screenshot of the report on X, stamped as misinformation.

The NYT story “attributing the employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated”, the ministry said.

A warning to international media

“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. “Details of any deployment, if necessary, will be given by the authorities concerned.”

It was the second such rebuttal this week. Earlier, the ministry termed “speculative” a Reuters report that 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops had been deployed in Saudi Arabia.

What Pakistan has said

Pakistan’s official position, set out by its leaders in recent days:

• Makkah pact: on Monday, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed at an emergency meeting in Riyadh to move immediately to practical implementation of their collective defence commitments and to deploy agreed forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom, according to the Foreign Office.
• Defence Minister Khawaja Asif: told Geo News that Pakistan and Turkiye had a “presence in theatre”, but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.
• ISPR: Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Wednesday that Pakistani troops have been in Saudi Arabia “for decades” and across multiple domains. On September 18 he said Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend the kingdom.
• Nature of the alliance: Pakistan has stressed that the pact is meant for collective deterrence and is defensive in nature.

The Makkah defence pact, signed on August 7, commits its members to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.

Fighting in Yemen

The rebuttal comes as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensify. On Thursday the Houthis claimed to have struck Riyadh’s main international airport with a ballistic missile, and a Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed the launch platform used.

A day earlier, Saudi authorities said three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks on two of the kingdom’s international airports, including in Riyadh. The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade of the kingdom.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government this week announced a major counter-offensive and said Houthi fighters had been pushed out of strategic areas on the Red Sea coast and the port city of Mocha. The Houthis say they are holding their ground, and military sources on both sides contacted by AFP have reported no major changes. Claims from the warring parties cannot be independently verified.

Why it matters

Pakistan has pledged to stand by Saudi Arabia while keeping its military role under the alliance within agreed, defensive terms. By publicly rejecting two foreign media reports in a week, the government is signalling that it alone will announce any deployment, and that reports based on unnamed sources do not reflect its position.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and the Ministry of Information.