Pakistan rejects NYT report claiming PAF jets used against Houthis

Pakistan's Information Ministry on Thursday rejected a New York Times report claiming Pakistan Air Force jets were used against Yemen's Houthis, calling it "fake and fabricated." The report, published Oct. 7 and citing an unnamed source, emerged as fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalates.

Why did Pakistan reject the New York Times report on PAF jets?

The Information Ministry said the story attributing the use of PAF aircraft against the Houthis was fake and fabricated. It urged international media to avoid speculative reporting on Pakistan's military forces under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, and said authorities concerned would provide details of any deployment, if necessary.

The ministry shared a screenshot of the report in a post on X. "International media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan's military forces under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement," it said. "Details of any deployment, if necessary, will be given by the authorities concerned."

Earlier this week, the ministry also described a Reuters report claiming Pakistan was deploying 30,000 to 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia as "speculative."

What is the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement?

The defense pact, signed Aug. 7, seeks to strengthen collective deterrence. It allows its signatories to treat an attack against one member as an attack against all. Pakistan has maintained that the alliance is defensive in nature.

The denials come days after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed to move toward the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia. They made the decision during an emergency meeting of the Mecca Defense Alliance in Riyadh on Monday, convened to address security developments and threats facing the kingdom.

A Foreign Office statement said the member states had "decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defense commitments." The arrangements will follow the approved framework and the national laws of the participating countries, it said, to strengthen military readiness, integration and collective capacity to counter threats.

What has Pakistan said about its military role in Saudi Arabia?

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who attended the Riyadh meeting, said Saudi Arabia had made "gains and recovered some areas" in Yemen. Asked whether Pakistan and Turkey could have an operational role, he said both countries had a "presence in theatre," but only Saudi forces were taking part in combat operations.

On Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that Pakistani troops were in Saudi Arabia. He said they had been stationed there "for decades" and operated across multiple domains.

Pakistan has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia. On Sept. 18, Chaudhry said Pakistan would go to "any extent" to defend the kingdom, describing Islamabad's commitment to its security as "unconditional." Asif has also said Pakistan would stand "practically and diplomatically" by Saudi Arabia against the Houthis if the conflict escalates, and would fulfill its obligations under the alliance according to the terms of the agreement.

What is happening in the fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis?

The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, and both sides have claimed attacks against each other. The Houthis said Thursday they had struck the Saudi capital's main international airport with a ballistic missile. A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government said on X that it had "destroyed the ballistic missile launch platform" used in the attack on Riyadh.

Saudi authorities said a day earlier that three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks on two international airports, including the one in Riyadh. The Houthis had claimed to have targeted both facilities.

The Houthis control much of northwestern Yemen and are fighting Saudi-backed forces after Yemen's civil war reignited in July. The group has captured large areas of coastal territory. This week, Yemen's internationally recognized government announced a major counteroffensive and said Houthi fighters had been pushed out of strategic areas along the Red Sea and around the port city of Mocha.

The Houthis have disputed those claims, saying they continue to hold their territory. Military sources from both sides contacted by AFP have not reported major changes on the ground. The competing battlefield claims could not be independently verified because of the rapidly changing situation and limited access for journalists.