Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday strongly rejected a New York Times report claiming that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets were being used in strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, describing the story as “fake and fabricated.”
In an official fact-check posted on its X account, the Ministry stated, “NYT above-referred story attributing employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated.
International Media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting regarding the employment of Pakistan’s Military Forces under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement. Details of any employment, if necessary, will be given by concerned authorities. Truth Prevails over Falsehood.”
The Ministry shared a screenshot of the New York Times article, which had cited unnamed Pakistani military officials.
According to the NYT report published on October 7, a senior Pakistani military official claimed that PAF jets were being employed against the Houthis amid escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia.
A second official reportedly said Pakistan’s role focused on degrading Houthi drone and missile threats through air support rather than a ground offensive in Yemen.
The denial comes against the backdrop of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Pakistani forces, including air assets, are already present in Saudi Arabia in various support and defensive roles.
Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told CNN in an interview Thursday that Pakistani forces are already present in Saudi Arabia in “multiple capabilities and domains,” but declined to provide details about their numbers, roles or possible operations.
Asked specifically whether Pakistani forces could be involved in operations across the Saudi border into Yemen, Chaudhry did not confirm such involvement, saying the relevant details were classified.
The Ministry has repeatedly urged international media to refrain from speculative reporting on the possible employment of Pakistani forces under the defence pact.
Just days earlier, it had also dismissed a Reuters report claiming the deployment of 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia as “speculative.”
Officials reiterated that any details regarding deployments or operational employment, if required, would be released only by the relevant authorities through official channels.
The New York Times report had raised questions about whether Pakistan was moving beyond defensive support for Saudi Arabia into more direct involvement in the Yemen conflict.
Islamabad has historically maintained a cautious stance on the Yemen war while deepening defense cooperation with Riyadh.
The Pakistan Armed Forces and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not issued any further official statement beyond the Information Ministry’s fact-check.
