Pakistan denies PAF jets striking Houthis
pose for a photograph during a committee meeting in Riyadh. PHOTO: REUTERS
Pakistan on Thursday rejected an American media report claiming that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft were being used against Houthi targets, describing the report as "fake and fabricated" as Islamabad sought to draw a distinction between its emerging military commitments under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and direct participation in offensive operations in Yemen.
The denial came amid growing international scrutiny of Pakistan's role in the Saudi-Houthi conflict following the activation of the trilateral defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
The New York Times, in a report published on October 7 under the headline "Explosions Heard in Riyadh After Saudis Say Houthi Attacks Killed 3 in Kingdom," reported, citing an unnamed senior Pakistani military official, that PAF fighter jets were being used against the Houthis.
The report further suggested, according to accounts of the NYT story, that Pakistan's role could focus on countering Houthi drone and missile threats through air support rather than a ground offensive in Yemen.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, however, rejected the specific claim regarding the PAF.
"NYT's story attributing employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated," the ministry said in a fact-check.
It also urged international media organisations to avoid "speculative reporting" about the employment of Pakistan's military forces under the Makkah agreement.
"Details of any employment, if necessary will be given by concerned authorities," the ministry said.
The clarification is significant because it comes only a day after the Pakistani military itself publicly confirmed that its personnel were already present in Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with CNN, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that Pakistani forces were in the Kingdom, saying they had been there "for decades" and operated in "multiple capabilities and domains".
He did not, however, disclose the number of personnel currently deployed in Saudi Arabia, their specific capabilities or whether additional forces could be sent under the Makkah pact. He also did not confirm any Pakistani participation in operations inside Yemen.
The CNN interview has nevertheless added a new dimension to Pakistan's position.
Islamabad has consistently described the Makkah agreement as defensive. But following the emergency meeting of the alliance's Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh on October 5, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed to move towards the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities in the Kingdom.
The three countries did not announce troop numbers, deployment schedules or the precise nature of the forces involved.
The Pakistani government has also stressed that any military employment would be carried out under agreed arrangements and in accordance with national laws.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan provided a similar clarification on Thursday, saying Ankara was assessing how it could assist Saudi Arabia, particularly in areas such as air defence.
But he ruled out an offensive Turkish role.
"This is a defence agreement. This is not an offensive agreement," Fidan said at a joint press conference in Ankara. He added that Turkiye would not send troops into another country to launch an attack.
His remarks are likely to reinforce Islamabad's own effort to establish a clear distinction between defending Saudi territory and conducting offensive operations against the Houthis inside Yemen.
The distinction has become increasingly important as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have intensified, including strikes and attempted strikes involving missiles and drones targeting airports and other infrastructure.
For Pakistan, the immediate challenge is therefore to honour the collective-defence commitment without being drawn into a wider war in Yemen.
The Makkah agreement states that an armed attack against one member would be treated as an attack against all three. Yet the pact does not automatically mean that Pakistani forces will participate in offensive operations beyond Saudi territory.